Meeting Australia’s New Procurement Standards
Government is backing Australian businesses - and we already fit the bill.
From 17 November 2025, federal agencies must prioritise Australian suppliers for smaller contracts and consider the ethical conduct of every bidder.
These changes strengthen a national movement toward responsible, local procurement - and SmartyGrants has been leading that charge for more than 20+ years.
- 100% Australian-owned and operated
- Data hosted securely in Australia
- Proven in 800+ government and community organisations
- Transparent, ethical business practices
- Designed for government accountability and public value
Supporting local innovation means supporting better outcomes for communities.
Australia’s tech sector is world-class, yet many public agencies still default to overseas systems. SmartyGrants offers a powerful, home-grown alternative that meets government standards, supports local jobs, and delivers technology shaped by real Australian grantmakers.
“This offers a clear opportunity for Australia-based, ethically grounded organisations to step forward”
What the new Commonwealth Procurement Rules mean for grantmakers - and how SmartyGrants already complies
The Albanese Government has introduced major updates to the Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs) - changes that will reshape how public sector agencies purchase technology and services.
Under the reforms, announced by Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, officials will be required to consider the ethical conduct of suppliers and give Australian businesses priority access to smaller contracts.
These measures are part of a broader push to ensure that the government’s $70 billion in annual procurement spending delivers not only value for money, but also social and economic value for Australians.
From 17 November 2025, the new CPRs require that:
- Government agencies must consider ethical conduct as a mandatory factor in all value-for-money assessments.
- For contracts valued below $125,000, only Australian businesses may be invited to tender.
- For construction contracts below $7.5 million, Australian suppliers must also be prioritised.
Together, these updates signal a strong shift toward responsible, transparent and locally focused procurement.
For federal departments (and increasingly for state and territory agencies) these changes encourage buying from local, ethical, and proven partners.
For grantmakers, that means your technology providers must be able to demonstrate:
- A track record of ethical, transparent business practices
- Australian ownership and data hosting
- Alignment with the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act (PGPA Act)
- A clear contribution to the public interest and local capability
Agencies using systems that meet these standards will be better positioned to demonstrate compliance under the new CPR framework, and to reassure auditors and stakeholders that their procurement choices support Australia’s public-value principles.
SmartyGrants was founded in Australia, for Australian grantmakers.
- Australian-owned and operated: We’re part of Our Community, an Australian social enterprise headquartered in Melbourne.
- Local infrastructure: All data is securely hosted within Australia.
- Trusted across government: More than 800 funders - including local, state and Commonwealth agencies - rely on SmartyGrants.
- Ethical and transparent: We operate with a clear social-purpose charter and comply with rigorous data-governance, privacy and security standards.
- Supporting public value: Our mission is to make grantmaking fairer, more efficient, and more accountable for the communities it serves.
In short, SmartyGrants already meets the spirit and intent of the new procurement rules.
As TechnologyOne CEO Edward Chung recently told The Herald Sun, it’s time to overcome Australia’s “cultural cringe” that favours foreign tech over home-grown innovation. The reality is that local providers now offer the scale, capability and reliability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global players — often with better understanding of public-sector needs.
SmartyGrants is proud to be part of that new wave of Australian technology leadership.
If your agency is reviewing its technology stack or preparing for the new procurement standards, now’s the time to consider how an Australian-built grants management system can help you meet compliance and community-impact goals.