New system for Commonwealth Australian Industry Participation (CAIP) plans

We designed the new system with Commonwealth entities and project proponents in mind. It’s built on Microsoft Power Platform, with improved functionality that provides a better user experience.

The new system offers a more streamlined and efficient way to:

• submit, review and endorse draft CAIP plans
• manage ongoing implementation reporting.

This transition does not change CAIP policy requirements, contractual obligations or reporting timeframes. Existing CAIP commitments and responsibilities for Commonwealth entities and project proponents remain the same. This includes approval responsibilities for CAIP plans and implementation reports.

We will soft launch the new system in May 2026.

• New CAIP plans and implementation reports will use the new system from 1 May.
• Existing CAIP plans and implementation reports will transition to the new system from May to June.
• We will transition existing CAIP plans with implementation reports due between May and the end of June 2026 first.

We expect to decommission the SmartForms system at the end of June 2026.

The CAIP team will transfer all existing CAIP plans in SmartForms into the new system. This will enable you to continue compliance reporting without disruption once the new system goes live.

The transfer will involve extracting your project’s current CAIP plan information from SmartForms and preparing replacement draft CAIP plans in the new system. As the new CAIP template is different from SmartForms, we will carefully transfer targeted information from the original CAIP plans.

Once transferred we will then ask Commonwealth entities and project proponents to review and endorse the transferred CAIP plans in the new system. This will give you the chance to edit your plan to make sure it matches the original intent and confirm that the information accurately reflects the project’s current arrangements.

We will also transfer previous approved implementation reports as PDF records.

You do not need to do anything right away. 

If we need you to review, confirm or update information on CAIP plans, we will contact you directly and provide clear guidance on the next steps.

Once you have confirmed that the project needs a CAIP plan via the self-assessment form, we will invite you to initiate a CAIP plan in the new system.

We will provide you information on how to:

• access the system
• initiate new CAIP plans and enter project details on behalf of the proponent
• forward CAIP plans to proponents for completion
• review completed CAIP plans and ask for additional information if needed
• endorse CAIP plans before submitting them to our team for final approval
• review and approve implementation reports the proponent provides before submitting them to us for data capture, monitoring and evaluation purposes.

If you are required to do a CAIP plan you will receive information on how to use the new system.

This includes how to:

• access the system
• complete new CAIP plans for the funding Commonwealth entity to review and endorse.
• initiate implementation reports
• complete implementation reports for the Commonwealth entity to review and approve.

Approval responsibilities for CAIP plans are not changing.

• The project proponent is responsible for completing the CAIP plan.
• The Commonwealth entity funding the project is responsible for reviewing and endorsing the CAIP plan.
• Our department is responsible for reviewing the endorsed plan for policy compliance and providing final approval.

The new system supports these existing roles and approval pathways.

Approval responsibilities for implementation reports are not changing.

• The project proponent is responsible for completing and submitting implementation reports.
• The Commonwealth entity funding the project is responsible for reviewing and approving implementation reports, in line with their funding and contract management responsibilities.
• Once approved, the Commonwealth entity submits implementation reports to our team through the system for data collection, monitoring and evaluation purposes.

Access to the new system will be behind an authentication wall, with 2-factor authentication available.

You can use either of these ways to access the system:

• the Australian Government’s Digital ID (myID)
• our department’s 2-factor system.

Digital ID (myID) is the Australian Government’s safe, secure and convenient way to prove and reuse your identity online. It allows you to access government services without sharing copies of identity documents.

Learn more about Digital ID, including how to set it up if you haven’t already. To access services with a Digital ID, you first need to set up a myID Digital ID.

Contact the CAIP team if you have questions about:

• preparing for the transition to the new system
• when your next compliance report is due
• your CAIP obligations.

Email commonwealthaip@industry.gov.au