Tender tracking vs Opportunity Radar: what to automate after AusTender saves
If you searched tender tracking or bid monitoring, you probably already have an AusTender login and a few saved searches. The problem is what comes next: keeping up with new notices, spotting renewals before they go to market, and knowing who already holds the work. This guide splits tender tracking into the parts you can do free and the parts worth automating. Coverage here is federal only (Commonwealth agencies reporting to AusTender).
If you want the setup guide for alerts and renewals, start with our tender monitoring guide. This post is about what to track and which tools to use.
Why manual tender tracking breaks down
The volume is the issue. In the 28 days to 26 October 2026, our federal contract notice data shows:
| Metric (federal, last 28 days) | Value |
|---|---|
| New contract notices | 5,069 |
| Agencies publishing | 119 |
| Median notice value | ~A$79k |
| Limited tender vs open tender | 2,735 limited / 2,328 open |
| Notices that are amendments | 1,595 |
That is around 180 new notices every day. More than half went through limited tender. You will never see those as an open approach to market, so watching open tenders alone leaves you blind to most of the market.
The three things worth tracking
1. Open opportunities. AusTender saved searches and email alerts cover this well and they are free. Use them.
2. Renewals and expiries. This is where tracking pays off. Federal notices show contract end dates, so you can see work coming back to market before the tender drops. Right now there are 16,714 current federal contract notices with an end date in the next 180 days, and 2,332 of them are worth A$1m or more.
3. Incumbents. When a contract is about to expire, the question is who holds it and how often they win again. Among contracts ending in the next 180 days, the large defence and logistics incumbents stand out:
| Supplier | Notices ending within 180 days | Notified value |
|---|---|---|
| BAE Systems Australia | 38 | ~A$2.14b |
| Linfox Australia | 7 | ~A$1.57b |
| Boeing Defence Australia | 16 | ~A$1.34b |
| Naval Ship Management (Australia) | 6 | ~A$1.03b |
SMEs aren't going to replace these primes. But expiring prime contracts often lead to subcontract and panel work, and the same method works in any category: filter by end date, then look up the incumbent.
Tender tracking vs Opportunity Radar
| Need | Free (AusTender + spreadsheet) | TenderTracker |
|---|---|---|
| Alerts for new open tenders | Saved searches | Matched alerts |
| Contract end dates and renewals | Export and filter by hand | Flagged for your categories |
| Who holds the contract | One notice at a time | Supplier directory and supplier profiles (guest) |
| Matched open tenders and renewals for your firm | None | Opportunity Radar on paid plans (pricing) |
A simple rule: if you only chase open tenders in one or two categories, free tools are enough. Once you track renewals across several agencies, or need incumbent context before you bid, automate it.
A weekly bid monitoring routine
- Monday: clear your AusTender alerts and shortlist anything due in the next 3 weeks.
- Tuesday: look at contracts in your categories ending in the next 6 months and note the incumbents.
- Wednesday: check incumbents' recent wins in the supplier profiles. Are they winning repeat work or one-off jobs?
- Friday: update your pipeline: go, no-go, or partner.
Our awarded tenders guide explains how to read the notices you are tracking.
Next step
Stop rebuilding the spreadsheet every week. Get matched to the federal opportunities and renewals that fit your firm.