Procurement and grants

Procurements

Approaches to market invite potential suppliers to participate in procurement activities. These activities may include a:

request for tender
request for expression of interest
request for information
request for proposal.

Open approaches to market for goods and services may be advertised by Services Australia on behalf of the NDIA on the Australian Government tendering website, AusTender.

These procurement activities do not include provider registration. You can find information about provider registration on the provider page.

Grant opportunities

For efficient, effective and ethical administration of our grants, the NDIA follows the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines (CGRGs).

Open NDIA grant opportunities are advertised through the NDIS website or may be advertised on the Australian Government GrantConnect portal.

Procurement and Grant Complaints Procedure

This procedure shows how potential suppliers can make a complaint about an NDIA led procurement or grant process.

Things this procedure does not cover include:

complaints and feedback about NDIS provider service or support delivery – complaints teams in each state or territory manage this type of complaint.
contractual disputes – this type of complaint is managed in accordance with the contract.

The NDIA is a non-prescribed Commonwealth Corporate Entity, and the Government Procurement Judicial Review Act 2018 does not apply to NDIA procurements.

Before you submit a complaint

We will manage any issues identified in the procurement or grant process in accordance with the documentation in that procurement or grant process. For example, in a request for tender, if something is not clear, ask questions before the tender closes.

At the conclusion of the evaluation process, tenderers will be notified of the outcome and provided with the opportunity for feedback on their submission, which will include:

how a submission was evaluated
strengths of a submission
areas of improvement
why a submission was unsuccessful.

How to lodge a complaint about a procurement process

Email procurement complaints to [email protected]. The email should include:

your name, business name, Australian Business Number (ABN), address, phone number and email
details of the procurement, including the goods/services tendered for, estimated contract value, relevant times and dates (i.e., issuance of tender/tender closing/contract award), and any AusTender/other reference numbers used by the NDIA
a factual and concise outline of your complaint
any other information or evidence to support your complaint
how your interests are affected by the conduct of the procurement process
a statement about what you want to achieve from the complaint process, noting that once a procurement outcome has been announced, it is very unlikely that this decision will be overturned.

Before you make a complaint, it’s important to understand the Department of Finance Guide to Selling, which notes that complaints should only relate to the process followed by the NDIA. The fact that your tender was unsuccessful is not sufficient grounds for complaint.

It is also important to understand that the NDIA selects suppliers based on overall value for money. This means the NDIA includes both financial and non-financial considerations, not just the lowest price.

Lodging a complaint about a grants process

Email complaints about a grants process to [email protected]. The request should include:

your name, business name, ABN, address, phone number and email
details of the grant opportunity including the goods/services sought in the grant opportunity, estimated grant value, relevant times and dates (i.e., issuance of grant opportunity/grant closing/grant award), and any GrantConnect or other reference numbers used by the NDIA
a clear statement about what you think was wrong with the grant process
any other information or evidence to support your complaint
a statement about what you want to achieve from the complaint process, noting that once a grant outcome has been announced, it is very unlikely that this decision will be overturned.

After you lodge a complaint

The NDIA will aim to:

acknowledge the complaint the next business day after receipt
investigate and resolve the complaint within 21 business days of receipt
let you know if it will take longer than 21 days.

At the end of the process, you will get a response to your complaint.

If you are happy with the outcome the NDIA will close the matter and consider it resolved.

If you are not happy with the outcome, you can raise it with the Australian Government Procurement Coordinator (for procurements) or Commonwealth Ombudsman (for grants and procurements).