A different rulebook
Defence procurement
Defence is the Commonwealth's largest and most complex buyer. It works within the broader procurement framework but adds its own contracting suite and acquisition process.
ASDEFCON — the contracting suite
ASDEFCON is the Australian Standard for Defence Contracting: a suite of standardised templates and conditions for Defence procurement, scaled from strategic materiel acquisitions down to simpler purchases. If you contract with Defence, you'll almost certainly meet ASDEFCON. The templates set out how tenders are structured, how offers are evaluated, and the contract conditions you'd be signing up to.
CASG — who runs major acquisition
The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) is the part of Defence responsible for acquiring and sustaining military equipment and supplies. Major capability projects are typically run through CASG, which is where the ASDEFCON templates are applied in practice.
What's different if you're selling to Defence
Longer horizons
Capability acquisition runs over years, with structured phases. Relationships and early industry engagement matter more than a single tender response.
Security & sovereignty
Security clearances, supply-chain assurance and sovereign-capability considerations shape who can play and how.
Standardised contracting
ASDEFCON means the contract terms are largely set. Knowing the template you're responding under is half the work.