How to Bid on Government Contracts in Australia 

Why should small to medium enterprises bid on government contracts? Winning a government contract can boost your revenue, expand your client base, and raise your credibility with long-term, stable buyers.  

The Australian government has policies to ensure that small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are competitive for government contracts. For contracts worth up to $1 billion, the Australian government has committed to giving at least 25% of its work (by monetary value) up to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). That means for every $100 spent, $25 goes to smaller businesses – giving them a real chance to compete. 

State and territory governments also have policies to support SMEs to bid for government contracts. 

This article explains the different procurement processes at federal, state and local levels, and offers handy tips on how new bidders can identify the easiest contracts to win and submit a strong application. 

Understanding the Procurement Process 

1. Pre-Qualification 

Pre-qualification is a vetting stage where you show that your company is reliable, capable, and ready to deliver on public sector opportunities. While it doesn’t guarantee future work, it allows you to access opportunities without having to go through a full tender process every time. 

To become pre-qualified, your business must show that it: 

Meets the evaluation criteria for the procurement opportunity 

Has the relevant experience, skills, and resources 

Follows best practices in delivery and governance 

Holds the necessary licences and insurances 

Has strong health and safety management systems 

Complies with procurement policies, including quality management, information security, and any industry-specific standards 

Find the easiest government contracts to win in our previous article.

2. Requests for Procurement 

A request for procurement is how government buyers engage potential suppliers to gather information about products or services they need. This may include pricing, proposed approaches, or capability details. 

Sometimes this stage is preceded by an Expression of Interest (EOI), where businesses can signal their interest and demonstrate suitability. 

Common types of requests include: 

Request for Quote (RFQ): Used when the buyer knows what they want and needs pricing. Suppliers provide cost details and an outline of what they’ll deliver. 

Request for Tender (RFT): A formal process for shortlisted suppliers to submit a detailed proposal, including technical specifications and pricing. Often used for high-value or complex procurements. 

Request for Proposal (RFP): A structured document inviting proposals for a particular project or solution. The buyer outlines goals, requirements, and evaluation criteria; suppliers respond with detailed approaches, timelines, and pricing. RFPs are typically used for projects requiring a strategic or bespoke solution. 

3. Evaluation Criteria and Weightings 

Every public sector procurement has specific evaluation criteria. These define how responses will be assessed and scored. 

Common criteria include: 

Technical capability: Can the supplier deliver effectively? 

Financial standing: Is the supplier financially stable? 

Value for money: Does the response offer the best overall value? 

Risk management: What are the potential risks in awarding this contract? 

In many cases, additional criteria are tailored to the project’s specific goals, risks, or sector. These may also align with broader government priorities such as sustainability or social value. 

Criteria are often weighted to reflect their importance, with scores typically shown as percentages. Understanding these weightings is essential to crafting a competitive response. 

View our article on how to find government contracts here.

How AutogenAI Helps 

1. Increase Efficiency Without Compromising Quality 

To win tenders, you need to submit tenders — but for many SMEs, the bidding process is complex, time-consuming, and full of pressure. With tight deadlines and limited resources, it’s often difficult to go after every opportunity that suits your business. 

AutogenAI solves this problem. Built by bid writers, for bid writers, it’s a generative AI platform designed to help teams work faster, smarter, and more effectively. 

In an independent trial, bid writers using AutogenAI produced responses over four times faster than those working alone. And that speed doesn’t come at the cost of quality — clients report an average 30% increase in win rates. One even beat their bid-win targets by 241%. 

These results come from giving teams the tools to streamline every stage of the process — from generating ideas and shaping persuasive narratives to backing up proposals with strong evidence and data. With AutogenAI handling the heavy lifting, your team can focus on adding strategic value where it matters most. 

2. Ensure Consistency and Compliance in Every Bid 

Strong bids are consistent in tone and fully compliant with government requirements. But when multiple contributors are involved, maintaining that consistency — and meeting every mandatory requirement — can be time-consuming. 

AutogenAI makes this easier. It helps teams create well-structured draft responses using the right language, tone, and flow from the outset. This means your proposals are aligned and persuasive from the first draft. 

It also embeds compliance into the drafting process. AutogenAI automatically generates a compliance matrix for each tender and integrates real-time checks as you write. So you can be confident you’ve met every requirement — and avoid disqualification due to minor errors. 

3. Write High-Quality Bids Quickly — Even Without Experience 

Public sector bidding is a numbers game: the more high-quality bids you submit, the more likely you are to win. For new suppliers, the best approach is to submit consistently — and improve with every bid. 

AutogenAI is built by bid writers, for bid writers. It’s designed to help teams work faster and write better — from understanding requirements to producing polished, persuasive responses. 

For organisations new to government contracting, it simplifies the entire process. You’ll quickly get to grips with what’s required, how each element fits together, and what makes a bid competitive. Over time, AutogenAI also helps you analyse past submissions to identify patterns, refine your strategy, and increase your win rate. 

To learn more about AutogenAI, contact us today.