From July 1 2026, the ACT Government is changing how it buys goods and services, with the goal of making it easier for small and medium enterprises, sole traders, and certified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses to win government work. For smaller, lower-risk jobs, that means less paperwork and a more direct route for buyers to engage local and Indigenous-owned suppliers.
At a Glance
- Effective July 1, 2026
- Purchases under $500: a verbal quote is usually enough – no written contract required in most cases
- Purchases from $25,000 to $500,000 (or up to $1 million for construction) – the ‘limited tender’ band: ACT Government buyers can request a single written quote (a ‘direct approach’) from a certified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business or a local SME, instead of the usual multi-quote process.
- Open tender thresholds are unchanged: $500,000 for goods and services, $1 million for construction
- Goal: fewer steps, less paperwork, and a fairer path in for smaller and Indigenous-owned suppliers
What's changing
The reforms focus on lower-value, lower-risk purchases, where the process has traditionally involved more steps than the size of the job justified.
- Under $500: businesses will usually only need to provide a verbal quote, and in most cases won't need to sign a written contract.
- From $25,000 up to $500,000 for goods and services, or up to $1 million for construction (known as the limited tender band): government buyers can request one written quote from a certified Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander business, or a small or medium enterprise based in Canberra or the surrounding region, rather than the three written quotes normally required for procurements in this range.
- Buyers are still required to demonstrate value for money, regardless of which method they use.
Why it matters for suppliers
For certified Indigenous businesses and Canberra-region SMEs, this creates a more direct path into ACT Government work in the $25,000–$500,000 range, opportunities that might previously have needed three separate quotes before a buyer could proceed. The changes are also designed to make government buying more consistent, so more businesses can participate with confidence in how the process works.
The amendments build on reforms introduced by the ACT Government in 2024, and sit alongside the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Procurement Policy, which encourages Territory entities to seek quotes from certified Indigenous enterprises wherever possible.
What stays the same
Open tender requirements are not changing. Goods and services procurements valued at $500,000 or more, and construction procurements valued at $1 million or more, will still need to go through open tender unless an exemption applies. Purchases under $25,000 also continue to follow their own simpler process, separate from this reform. The changes are aimed squarely at the limited tender band in between.
What this means for your business
If you're a certified Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander business, a sole trader, or an SME based in the ACT or surrounding region, these changes are designed to make it easier for government buyers to come to you directly for jobs in the $25,000–$500,000 range. It's a good time to make sure your business details, certifications, and capability statements are current and easy for buyers to find.
| Search Current ACT Tenders → |
Sources
Procurement ACT: Government Procurement Amendment Act 2026
Procurement ACT: Ways to Supply
CMTEDD: Streamlined procurement practices make it easier to do business with ACT Government