AusConnect was launched in December 2018. It's an online marketplace designed to make it easier to link searchers and suppliers, and to find opportunities to engage with the Australian aid program.
Since it was established, the portal has advertised over 425 opportunities with 251 in the Pacific and has received over 9,485 unique hits to the site.
Previously, organisations and individuals faced significant costs searching multiple web sites and other information sources to identify opportunities to engage with the Australian aid program. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) wanted to make better use of technology and through that technology make it easier to deal with and access government services, in this case the aid program. Its other goal was to level the playing field so that underrepresented groups could more easily seek opportunities, including SMEs, the research sector, indigenous companies, and women.
This portal serves as a single source of information listing opportunities and providing links for searchers to the entity holding the primary contract with DFAT so searchers can find more information and apply.
AusConnect does not replace existing mechanisms through which market opportunities are advertised - the innovation is that it brings all opportunities, including those for sub-contractors, into one accessible location searchable by sector, value and geography.
