New ACT procurement reforms are coming in 2026. Here’s what’s changing and what it means for suppliers and SMEs.
In February 2026, the ACT Legislative Assembly passed the Government Procurement Amendment Act 2025, refining the Government Procurement Act 2001 and the Government Procurement Regulation 2007.
While the Act was passed in February, the amendments are scheduled to commence on a date set by the Minister (expected 1 July 2026), giving agencies and suppliers time to prepare for implementation.
The Amendment builds on major procurement reforms introduced on 1 July 2024 and is designed to:
Increase supplier participation
Reduce administrative burden
Improve operational efficiency
Strengthen transparency and accountability
Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and local SMEs
If you’re supplying, or planning to supply, to the ACT Government, here’s what you need to know.
On this page:
After implementing wide ranging reforms in 2024, the ACT Government identified opportunities to further refine procurement processes while maintaining:
The 2025 Amendment Act does not overhaul the system. Instead, it finetunes key operational areas to make ACT procurement more practical and inclusive.
One of the most practical updates relates to low value procurements.
What changed?
Why it matters
This reduces administrative burden for:
ACT Government agencies
Micro and small suppliers
Sole traders
Importantly, value for money and record keeping requirements still apply.
The amendments clarify what counts as “confidential text” when publishing notifiable contracts.
Confidential text now includes:
Personal information
The name of an individual
Exception: Where an individual supplies goods or services in their own name (e.g. sole traders).
The Amendment confirms that all text within notifiable procurement contracts for legal services is treated as confidential and does not need to be published on the public Contracts Register.
This means that, unlike other contracts, the full content of legal services agreements is excluded from public disclosure.
This change protects:
Legal professional privilege
Sensitive legal advice
Government litigation and strategy considerations
Under the updated framework, ACT Government agencies may obtain a single quotation for limited value procurements from:
A certified Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity
A small or medium enterprise (SME) based in Canberra or the surrounding region
Lowers participation barriers for Indigenous businesses
Encourages greater involvement from Canberra based SMEs
Supports local economic inclusion
Retains the requirement to achieve value for money
This reduces the number of steps required to engage eligible Indigenous and local suppliers where they have the capability to deliver the goods or services.
Why this matters:
For certified Indigenous businesses and local SMEs, this creates clearer pathways for direct engagement in smaller government procurements.
The Regulation now clarifies:
A panel arrangement is a type of standing offer arrangement
Establishing or refreshing a panel is treated differently from issuing work orders under a panel
This removes compliance ambiguity for suppliers participating in ACT Government panels.
Under the updated framework, Board review applies primarily to:
Large scale procurements involving significant value or complexity
Procurements that materially increase risk to the Territory
Substantial variations to high value contracts
The reform also clarifies that:
Additional goods or services sourced from the original supplier (under section 9(1)(i)) do not automatically require Board review
Responsible Chief Executives may refer any procurement to the Board
The Board may select procurements for review on its own initiative
What changed?
Previously, the Regulation included rigid examples and outdated agency references. These have been removed and replaced with guidance, allowing a more flexible, risk based approach to oversight.
The Regulation clarifies that a late tender must not be accepted unless the delay was caused by an act or omission of the Territory entity.
What changed?
Previously, the drafting left some room for interpretation around discretion. The amendment removes ambiguity and confirms that late submissions are invalid except where the government is responsible for the delay.
Documents incorporated into a notifiable contract, such as technical specifications, drawings or large annexures, do not need to be published on the ACT Contracts Register.
What changed?
Previously, it was unclear whether these materials also had to be uploaded alongside the main contract. This created administrative burden, particularly where documents were large, technical or commercially sensitive.
Under the reform, agencies must still retain the full contract internally, but only the public text of the contract must be published.
For suppliers, particularly SMEs and Indigenous businesses, the 2025 amendments signal:
Reduced red tape for small procurements
Improved clarity around panel arrangements
Greater direct engagement opportunities for certified Indigenous suppliers
Stronger procedural rules around tender submissions
Continued commitment to transparency and accountability
If you are tendering for ACT Government work, understanding these changes is essential to positioning your business competitively in 2026 and beyond.
Understanding the changes is only the first step. If you’re planning to tender in the ACT, staying across live opportunities is essential. You can search and explore every current ACT Government tender on Australian Tenders and set up alerts to stay informed as new opportunities are released.