Defence Assistance Program
Tender Overview
About this tender
The Department of Defence is offering the Defence Assistance Program, a community and social services opportunity available across all Australian states and territories. This program operates in New South Wales and is administered by the Department of Defence. The opportunity encompasses community support, wellbeing and mental health support, family and youth services, and associated program delivery and venue-based community services. Suitable service providers include community service organisations specialising in youth and family support, out-of-school hours care, employee wellbeing and EAP services, critical incident support, and allied health and workplace health providers.
Frequently asked questions
- The Defence Assistance Program is a community and social services initiative issued by the Department of Defence to deliver support services including community support, wellbeing and mental health support, family and youth services, and program delivery.
- The program is available across all Australian states and territories, including regions in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania.
- Suitable providers include community service organisations offering youth and family support, out-of-school hours care, employee wellbeing and EAP services, critical incident support, and allied health and workplace health providers with appropriate coverage.
- Enquiries can be directed to Karinna Shearer at the Department of Defence. Phone: 07 3903 0072, Email: Karinna.Shearer1@defence.gov.au
- The reference number is SEG/FY2026/27/DAP
- Services include community support, wellbeing and mental health support, family and youth services, associated program delivery, and venue-based community services.
How to respond to this tender
A strong tender response is clear, compliant, and backed by evidence. These steps apply to most Australian and New Zealand public tenders.
Read the requirements in full
Open the official listing and download the full tender pack. Note the response schedules, evaluation criteria, mandatory conditions, and the exact closing time and lodgement method.
Confirm you are eligible and it is worth bidding
Check licences, insurances, certifications, and any conformance requirements before you commit. A quick bid or no-bid decision saves days of wasted effort on a tender you cannot win.
Answer every criterion with evidence
Respond to each evaluation criterion directly and back your claims with concrete examples, referees, and past performance. Address the buyer’s stated need, not a generic capability statement.
Lodge early through the official portal
Submit through the source portal well before the deadline. Late or incorrectly lodged bids are almost always rejected, so leave time for uploads, portal errors, and last-minute questions.
