Procurement Complaints

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Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Act 2018

The Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Act 2018 (the Act) establishes an independent complaint mechanism for government procurement processes. The Act requires the accountable authorities of relevant Commonwealth entities to formally investigate complaints that are made in accordance with the Act, and to suspend procurements during the investigation of a complaint under the Act, unless a public interest certificate is in place. The Act also places obligations on suppliers to take reasonable steps to resolve a complaint with the relevant Commonwealth entity before taking action in the Federal Circuit Court. For guidance on the Act, refer to
Resource Management Guide No: 422 - Handling complaints on the Department of Finance website.

The Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Act 2018 protects the rights of suppliers or potential suppliers to government agencies.

Procurement covered under the Act:

  • goods and/or services at or above $80,000 (GST inc)
  • construction services at or above $7.5 million (GST inc) not covered by an exemption.

To lodge a complaint under the Act, email GPJRComplaints@education.gov.au.

To help us resolve your complaint quickly, include the following information in your written submission:

  • your name, supplier business name, ABN, address, phone and email
  • details of the procurement including the service, estimated contract value, relevant times and dates, AusTender ID and UNSPSC code (if known)
  • a factual and concise outline of your complaint and any Commonwealth Procurement Rules you believe we breached
  • any other information, documents or evidence to support your complaint.

When we receive your complaint we will:

  • acknowledge we’ve received it
  • assess whether it meets the criteria under the Act
  • if appropriate suspend the procurement unless a public interest certificate is issued
  • investigate and work with you to resolve the issue within 10 days
  • let you know if it will take longer.

Public Interest Certificates issued by the department (or under previous department names) in accordance with s.22 of the Act can be found on our Public Interest Certificates page.

At the end of the process, you will receive a report on the outcome of the investigation.

General procurement complaints

To lodge a general complaint about any procurement conducted by the department, email procurementcomplaints@education.gov.au. 

To help us resolve your complaint quickly, include the following information in your written submission:

  • your name, supplier business name, ABN, address, phone and email
  • details of the procurement including the service, estimated contract value, relevant times and dates, AusTender ID and UNSPSC code (if known)
  • a factual and concise outline of your complaint and any Commonwealth Procurement Rules you believe we breached
  • any other information, documents or evidence to support your complaint.

When we receive your complaint we:

  • acknowledge we’ve received it
  • investigate and work with you to resolve the issue within 10 days
  • let you know if it will take longer.

For all complaints, if you are happy with the outcome, we’ll 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 or Commonwealth Ombudsman.