Commonwealth Government procurement

Successful tenderers for Commonwealth Government procurements of $20 million or more may be required to prepare and implement an Australian Industry Participation (AIP) plan.

An AIP plan outlines how the successful tenderer will provide Australian industry with full, fair and reasonable opportunity to participate in the project. AIP plans do not mandate the use of Australian industry, but rather aim to provide Australian industry with the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities so they can be considered in purchasing decisions.

See the AIP plan summaries for current Commonwealth government procurement.

For government agencies

When preparing a tender valued at $20 million or more, you should phone 02 6213 6404 or email aip@industry.gov.au to discuss whether an AIP plan is required.

If an AIP plan is required, we can provide model clauses to include in the tender documentation.

Once an AIP plan is approved, you’ll need to review implementation report(s) and evaluate the actions against the AIP plan. You’ll then need to approve the reports and provide copies to us.

For tenderers

If you’re successful in a tender process, check the tender documents on AusTender or the procuring agency’s website to see if you’re required to prepare an AIP plan.

Where an AIP plan is required, you‘ll need to submit an approved AIP plan to the procuring agency before signing a contract or head agreement.

Once the procuring agency advises you that you have been successful in the tender we encourage you to email aip@industry.gov.au or phone 02 6213 6404 to begin discussions on how to draft an AIP plan.

Developing an AIP plan

The AIP Authority must approve AIP plans before they’re submitted to the procuring agency. If you would like assistance or have any issues using the AIP plan templates, email aip@industry.gov.au or phone 02 6213 6404.

The AIP plan requires you to describe the actions you’ll take to provide full, fair and reasonable opportunity to Australian industry. You don’t need to provide too much detail; a few short sentences are enough. Your draft AIP plan doesn’t need to be signed.

Read the User Guide for developing an AIP Plan [246KB PDF] [136KB DOCX] for detailed instructions.

1. Use the Template for developing an AIP Plan [140KB DOCX] to prepare a draft.
2. Email your draft AIP plan to aip@industry.gov.au.
3. We aim to respond to you within 3 business days.
4. Make any necessary changes to your AIP plan based on our feedback. This may take multiple submissions.

AIP plan Executive Summary and approval

Once your AIP plan has been reviewed and is ready for approval, you’ll need to have it signed by your authorised representative and submit it together with the AIP plan Executive Summary.

Prepare a summary based on the final version of your AIP plan:

1. Complete the AIP plan Executive Summary Template [46KB DOCX].
2. Send it together with the final, signed AIP plan to aip@industry.gov.au for approval.
3. Once your AIP plan is approved, we’ll send you a Certificate of Approval. The approval process may take up to 10 business days.

We’ll publish your Executive Summary once we have confirmation that your contract/head agreement has been executed.

Submitting your AIP plan

Once the AIP Authority has approved your AIP plan, you must supply the procuring agency with a copy of:

• the Approved AIP plan
• the Certificate of Approval

Implementing your AIP plan

Once awarded a contract, you’ll need to submit an Implementation Report within an agreed timeframe. This is generally 14 months from the contract execution. This report provides evidence of the implementation and outcomes of your AIP plan. For multiyear projects, you’ll also need to submit annual implementation reports until the completion of this project.

Please email aip@industry.gov.au or phone 02 6213 6404 for help when preparing your report.

You must keep records to demonstrate you have implemented the actions in your AIP plan. The records should show how you’re providing competitive opportunities to Australian industry. In your report, include:

• observations
• feedback
• case studies
• evidence of actions such as information session attendee lists and website screenshots of supply opportunities

You must submit these reports to the procuring agency. They may request more detail if the reports are incomplete or if you don’t provide enough evidence. The report may be deemed non-compliant if it doesn’t meet their standards.

Read more

• See the AIP plan summaries for current government procurements, grants and investments.
• See the User Guide for developing an AIP Plan [590KB PDF] [101KB DOCX] for detailed instructions.
• Find out more about Australia Industry Participation.

Connect with us

Subscribe to the AIP Bulletin

Contact us

• Email aip@industry.gov.au
• Phone 02 6213 6404