Standard Form Approach to Market (SFATM) - Consultancy
Black text highlighted yellow is where specific information is to be inserted.
The Commonwealth as represented by [Insert Name of Agency] (the Customer) is seeking
tenders for the provision of the consultancy services (Consultancy) described in this Standard
Form Approach to Market (SFATM).
Potential Suppliers must submit their responses using the Response to Approach to Market form
provided with all details provided in English and prices quoted in Australian currency.
Potential Suppliers should note that the Customer:

will not contract with a Potential Supplier where the Potential Supplier or a proposed
subcontractor does not comply with the Commonwealth Policy Requirements [clause A.B.15]
of this SFATM; and

will terminate the Contract and recover its costs if the Supplier was not compliant with those
requirements at the time that the contract was executed [Termination for non-Compliance
with Commonwealth Policy Requirements - clause C.C.10 of the Standard Form Contract
Terms].
No contract will be formed until formally executed by the parties. An executed contract will
incorporate the Commonwealth’s Standard Form Contract Terms including any Standard Form
Contract - Special Conditions of Contract.
SFATM – Statement of Requirement
A.A.1
Key Events and Dates
Event
Date
Time
Closing Time
[Insert date]
[Insert time] [ACT] local time
Expected Contract execution date
[Insert date]
The Goods are required on or before
[Insert date]
Contract Term
Wording changes to suit the requirement.
Contract Extension Option (if applicable) Wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2
Requirement
Wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2(a)
Facilities and assistance offered by the Customer
If applicable; wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2(b)
Customer Material
If applicable; wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2(c)
Standards
If applicable; wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2(d)
Security Requirements
If applicable; wording changes to suit the requirement.
A.A.2(e)
Delivery and Acceptance
Wording changes to suit the requirement – see also Contract Clause C.A.2(f).
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Standard Form Approach to Market (SFATM) - Consultancy
Milestone Description
A.A.3
Due Date
Approach to Market (ATM) Distribution
Option 1
This SFATM and any updates will be distributed by email. Any questions relating to this SFATM
must be directed to the Customer’s Contact Officer at A.A.5.
Option 2
This SFATM and any updates will be distributed via AusTender and are subject to the following
conditions:
Document Download
AusTender is the Australian Government’s procurement information system. Access to and use
of AusTender is subject to terms and conditions. In participating in this SFATM process,
Potential Suppliers must comply with those terms and conditions and any applicable instructions,
processes, procedures and recommendations as advised on AusTender at:
https://www.tenders.gov.au/?event=public.termsOfUse.
All queries and requests for technical or operational support must be directed to:
AusTender Help Desk
Telephone: 1300 651 698
International: +61 2 6215 1558
Email: tenders@finance.gov.au
The AusTender Help Desk is available between 9am and 5pm ACT Local Time, Monday to
Friday (excluding ACT and national public holidays).
A.A.4
Lodgement Method
Option 1
Responses should be lodged with
Changes to suit the requirement.
Name:
Optional: Changes to suit the requirement.
Position title:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Reference number (if applicable):
Changes to suit the requirement.
Address for lodgement
or
email address:
or
Changes to suit the requirement.
fax number:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Changes to suit the requirement.
by the Closing Time specified above.
Option 2
Electronic Lodgement
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Standard Form Approach to Market (SFATM) - Consultancy
Responses must be lodged electronically via AusTender before the Response Closing Time and
in accordance with the Response lodgement procedures set out in this SFATM documentation
and on AusTender.
The Closing Time will also be displayed in the relevant AusTender webpage together with a
countdown clock that displays in real time the amount of time left until Closing Time. (For more
information please see AusTender Terms of Use).
For the purposes of determining whether a Response has been lodged before the Closing Time,
the countdown clock will be conclusive.
Preparing to Lodge a Tender Response
Response File Formats, Naming Conventions and Sizes
The Customer will accept Responses lodged in Microsoft Word v? (or above), Microsoft Excel v?
(or above) or PDF format v? (or above). [specify the appropriate format requirements]
The Response file name/s:

should incorporate the Potential Supplier’s full legal entity name; and

should reflect the various parts of the bid they represent, where the Response comprises
multiple files.
Response files should / must [make the appropriate selection] not exceed a combined file size of
X [specify reasonable size limit] megabytes per upload.
Responses must be completely self-contained. No hyperlinked or other material may be
incorporated by reference.
Scanned or Imaged Material, including Statutory Declarations
In the event that the Customer requires clarification of the Response, the Potential Supplier may
be required to courier or security post the originals of the signature and/or initialled pages to the
Customer’s Contact Officer at the address specified at A.A.5 within [X] business days of the
Closing Time.
A.A.5
Customer’s Contact Officer
Option 1
For all matters relating to this SFATM, the Customer’s Contact Officer will be the person
occupying the position of:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Telephone:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Email:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Option 2
For all matters relating to this SFATM, the Customer’s Contact Officer will be:
Name:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Telephone:
Changes to suit the requirement.
Email:
Changes to suit the requirement.
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General Conditions of Response
A.B.1
General
A.B.6
Responses are subject to these General
Conditions of Response and any Special
Conditions of Response specified at A.C.1 in this
SFATM.
Potential Suppliers must submit Responses using
the Response to the ATM form provided with all
details provided in English and prices quoted in
Australian currency.
No contract will be formed until formally executed
by the. Any such Contract will incorporate the
Standard Form Contract Terms including any
Standard Form Contract - Special Conditions of
Contract.
Amendments and Queries
The Customer may amend, or clarify any aspect
of the SFATM prior to the Closing Time by
issuing a formal amendment to the SFATM in the
same manner as the original SFATM was
distributed. Such amendments or clarifications
will be issued simultaneously to all Potential
Suppliers, as far as practicable.
Any queries regarding this SFATM should be
directed to the Customer’s Contact Officer
[clause A.A.5].
A.B.7
Clarification
The Customer, acting in good faith, may
discontinue the SFATM, decline to accept any
Response; decline to issue any contract; or satisfy
its requirement separately from the SFATM
process.
The Customer may, at any time prior to execution
of a contract, seek clarification or additional
information from, and enter into discussions and
negotiations with, any or all Potential Suppliers in
relation to their Responses. In doing so, the
Customer will not allow any Potential Supplier to
substantially tailor or amend their Response.
Participation in any stage of the process is at the
Potential Supplier’s sole risk and cost.
A.B.8
A.B.2
Lodgement
The Customer will only agree to extensions to the
Closing Time in exceptional circumstances and, if
approved, the extension will apply equally to all
Potential Suppliers. The Customer will not
consider any Responses received after the
Closing Time specified in the SFATM unless the
Customer determines, in its sole discretion, that it
has caused or contributed to the failure to lodge by
the Closing Time.
Alternatives
Potential Suppliers may submit Responses for
alternative methods of addressing the
Customer’s Requirement described in the
SFATM where the option to do so was stated in
the SFATM or agreed in writing with the
Customer prior to the Closing Time. Potential
Suppliers are responsible for providing a
sufficient level of detail about the alternative
solution to enable its evaluation.
A.B.9
Customer Material
The Response must be lodged as set out in the
Lodgement Method [Clause A.A.4].
The Customer will make available the Customer’s
material (if any) specified in Customer material
[clause A.A.2(b)].
A.B.3
A.B.10
Validity
Responses must remain open for acceptance for
60 calendar days from the Closing Time.
A.B.4
Alterations
The Customer may decline to consider a
Response in which there are alterations,
erasures, illegibility, ambiguity or incomplete
details.
A.B.5
A.B.11
Inconsistencies
If there is inconsistency between any of the parts
of the SFATM, the following order of precedence
shall apply:
(a) SFATM – Statement of Requirement;
(b) Special Conditions of Response (if any);
(c)
General Conditions of Response;
(d) Special Conditions of Contract (if any);
(e) Standard Form Contract Terms; and
(f)
Standard Form Contract – Statement of
Requirement, if any;
so that the provision in the higher ranked
document will prevail to the extent of the
inconsistency.
Public Consultation Draft
Reference Material
If the SFATM references any other materials,
including but not limited to, reports, plans,
drawings, samples or other reference material,
the Potential Supplier is responsible for obtaining
the referenced material and considering it in
framing their Response.
Price Basis
Prices quoted must show the GST exclusive
price, the GST component, if any, and the GST
inclusive price.
The Contract Price must be inclusive of GST and
all other taxes, duties (including any customs
duties) and any government charges imposed or
levied in Australia or overseas.
The Contract Price, which must include any and
all other charges and costs, will be the maximum
price payable by the Customer under the
Contract.
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General Conditions of Response
A.B.12
(c)
Evaluation
The Customer will evaluate tenders in
accordance with the Commonwealth
Procurement Rules to determine the best value
for money outcome for the Customer. The
Customer will exclude from consideration any
Response that does not meet the Special
Conditions of Participation [clause A.C.1] if any.
A.B.16
The criteria for evaluation will encompass:
(a) the extent to which the Potential Supplier’s
Response meets the Customer’s
requirement set out in the SFATM;
(b) the Potential Supplier’s proven capacity to
provide the requirement; and
(c)
the total costs to be incurred by the
Customer.
The Customer will notify unsuccessful Potential
Suppliers of the final decision and, if requested,
will debrief Potential Suppliers following the
award of a contract.
A.B.13
Financial information
Without limiting the Customer’s right to disclose
other information, for any contracts awarded, the
Customer will publicly disclose the Supplier’s
name, postal address and a range of details
about the Contract, including contract value and
the names of any subcontractors engaged in
respect of the Contract.
A.B.17
If requested by the Customer, the Potential
Supplier must promptly provide the Customer
with such information or documentation as the
Customer reasonably requires in order to
evaluate the Potential Supplier’s financial
stability.
Confidentiality of Potential
Supplier’s Information
In their Response, Potential Suppliers must
identify any aspects of their Response or the
proposed Contract that they consider should be
kept confidential, including reasons.
Potential Suppliers should note that the
Customer will only agree to treat information as
confidential in cases that it considers appropriate.
In the absence of such an agreement, Potential
Suppliers acknowledge that the Customer has
the right to publicly disclose the information.
Referees
The Customer reserves the right to contact the
Potential Supplier’s referees, or any other
person, directly and without notifying the
Potential Supplier.
A.B.15
Reporting Requirements
Potential Suppliers acknowledge that the
Customer is subject to legislative and
administrative accountability and transparency
requirements including disclosure to Parliament
and its Committees.
Potential Suppliers should also note the
requirements of the Freedom of Information Act
1982.
If requested by the Customer, the Potential
Supplier must be able to demonstrate both their
financial stability and ability to remain viable over
the term of any Contract.
A.B.14
does not comply with the Special
Conditions of Participation (clause A.C.1),
if any.
A.B.18
Potential Suppliers and their officers, employees,
agents and advisors must not engage in any
collusive, anti-competitive or any other similar
conduct with any other Potential Supplier or
person or offer any unlawful inducements in
relation to their Response or this SFATM
process.
Commonwealth Policy
Requirements
Potential Suppliers acknowledge that the
Customer will not contract with a Potential
Supplier where the Potential Supplier or a
proposed subcontractor either:
A.B.19
(a)
has a judicial decision against it (excluding
decisions under appeal) relating to unpaid
employee entitlements, where the
entitlements remain unpaid; or
(b)
is not able to provide a letter of compliance
from the Workplace Gender Equality
Agency. NOTE: This requirement (b) only
applies to non-public sector employers of
100 or more employees in Australia; or
Public Consultation Draft
Collusive tendering and
Unlawful Inducements
Conflict of Interest
Potential Suppliers must notify the Customer
immediately if any actual, potential or perceived
conflict of interest arises (a perceived conflict of
interest is one in which a reasonable person
would think that the person’s judgement and/or
actions may be compromised).
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Standard Form ATM - Special Conditions of Response
If any special conditions of participation are necessary, clauses are added to suit particular
requirements
A.C.1
Special Conditions of Participation
Internal Consultation Draft
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