Entity
Department of Veterans' Affairs
+$264m (+1.2%) on 2025-26 estimated actual
Kind of expense
Traced to named suppliers and grant recipients
$1.2bn falls in 2026-27, equal to 5.1% of this total: $1.1bn in contracts and $46m in grants. estimate: annualised
From AusTender contract notices and GrantConnect grant awards published since 2022-07-01. Each contract’s or grant’s value is spread evenly from its start to end date. These values are commitments, not payments, and records published before 2022-07-01 are not included yet.
By program
| Program | 2025-26 estimated actual |
2026-27 Budget estimate |
Change | Share | Removed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program 2.6: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Acts - Health and Other Care ServicesDVA arranges for the provision of rehabilitation, medical and other related services under the DRCA, the MRCA and relate… | $743m | $1.4bn | +$624m +84.0% | 5.9% | – |
| Program 1.7: Adjustment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Acts Liability Provision - Income Support and Compensation | $1.5bn | $2.0bn | +$465m +30.5% | 8.6% | – |
| Program 2.7:Adjustment to the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Acts Liability Provision - Health and other Care Services | $5.5bn | $5.9bn | +$317m +5.7% | 25.2% | – |
| Outcome 2 | $214m | $240m | +$26m +12.3% | 1.0% | – |
| Program 2.2: Veterans' Hospital ServicesThis program provides access to inpatient and outpatient hospital services for eligible veterans through arrangements wi… | $1.1bn | $1.1bn | +$22m +2.0% | 4.8% | – |
| Program 2.4: Veterans' Community Care and SupportDVA manages community support and residential aged care programs for clients, including the Veterans’ Home Care program… | $1.4bn | $1.4bn | +$7.4m +0.5% | 6.2% | – |
| Outcome 3 | $19m | $22m | +$3.1m +15.8% | 0.1% | – |
| Program 3.2: Commemorative ActivitiesCommemorative activities are delivered to enable the community to better understand, acknowledge and commemorate the ser… | $41m | $43m | +$2.1m +5.2% | 0.2% | – |
| Program 3.1: War GravesThis program acknowledges and commemorates veterans’ service and sacrifice and promotes an increased understanding of Au… | $34m | $33m | −$857k −2.6% | 0.1% | – |
| Program 1.5: Veterans' Children Education SchemeUnder the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme and the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Trainin… | $18m | $17m | −$929k −5.1% | 0.1% | – |
| Program 1.4: Assistance and Other Compensation for Veterans and DependantsThis program delivers other allowances and assistance to eligible veterans and dependants under the VEA and related legi… | $90m | $88m | −$1.7m −1.9% | 0.4% | – |
| Outcome 1 | $453m | $446m | −$7.4m −1.6% | 1.9% | – |
| Program 2.1: General Medical Consultations and ServicesDVA has arrangements in place with medical and allied health practitioners in both the public and private sectors to del… | $720m | $708m | −$12m −1.6% | 3.0% | – |
| Program 1.1: Veterans’ Income Support and AllowancesThis program delivers means-tested income support pensions and other allowances to eligible veterans and dependants unde… | $1.7bn | $1.7bn | −$56m −3.3% | 7.1% | – |
| Program 2.3: Veterans' Pharmaceuticals Benefits | $453m | $386m | −$66m −14.7% | 1.7% | – |
| Program 2.5: Veterans’ Counselling and Other Health ServicesThis program provides a wide range of mental and allied health care services, including counselling and referral service… | $792m | $722m | −$70m −8.8% | 3.1% | – |
| Program 1.2: Veterans’ Disability SupportThis program provides compensation in the form of disability compensation payments and ancillary benefits to eligible ve… | $1.8bn | $1.8bn | −$77m −4.2% | 7.6% | – |
| Program 1.3: Assistance to Defence Widow/ers and Dependants | $899m | $812m | −$86m −9.6% | 3.5% | – |
| Program 1.6: Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Acts Payments - Income Support and Compensation | $5.3bn | $4.5bn | −$825m −15.5% | 19.4% | – |
Worth a closer look
Patterns in this agency’s contract notices published in 2025-26 and 2026-27 to date. Each is a measurable pattern with common legitimate explanations; none is a finding of wrongdoing. How these are defined.
- Value increased after award 18 contracts · $610m
The contract’s value rose after it was first published. - Published long after it started 37 contracts · $95m
The contract notice was published more than six months after the contract’s start date. - Published late in a batch 51 contracts · $1.0bn
An agency published many contract notices on one day, each more than six months after the contract started. - Repeated limited tenders to one supplier 5 contracts · $1.2m
The same agency awarded the same supplier several contracts by limited tender in one financial year. - Grew past the open-tender threshold 3 contracts · $372k
A contract awarded by limited tender below the open-tender threshold later rose in value to the threshold or above. - Supplier’s ABN was new 4 contracts · $1.7m
The supplier’s ABN had been active for less than three months when the contract started or was published.
Who gets paid
Contracts active in 2026-27, from AusTender. Amounts for the year are each contract’s value spread across its term. estimate: annualised
- Contracts active
- 3325
- Suppliers
- 2408
- Limited tender
- 18.9% of value · 604 contracts
- Value added by amendments
- $2.0bn across 944 amended contracts
Largest suppliers
Suppliers who are individuals are counted in the totals above but not listed. Why
| Supplier | Contracts | 2026-27 est. | Limited tender |
|---|---|---|---|
| RESMED ASIA PACIFIC LTD | 2 | $46m | 0.0% |
| LUMIA CARE | 2 | $34m | 0.0% |
| FAMILY FIRST HOME CARE PTY LTD | 1 | $33m | 0.0% |
| VITAL HOME HEALTH SERVICES PTY LTD | 2 | $29m | 0.0% |
| RAMSAY HEALTH CARE AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED | 2 | $27m | 0.0% |
| QUEENSLAND AMBULANCE SERVICE | 1 | $26m | 100.0% |
| UnitingCare Queensland Limited T/A Blue Care | 2 | $22m | 0.0% |
| COUNTRY CARE GROUP | 1 | $20m | 0.0% |
| Mlcoa | 2 | $18m | 0.0% |
| HARWELL HOME CARE PTY LTD. | 2 | $17m | 3.2% |
| ASTER HOME CARE | 1 | $14m | 0.0% |
| HEALTHSCOPE OPERATIONS PTY LTD | 1 | $14m | 0.0% |
| INDEPENDENCE AUSTRALIA | 3 | $14m | 0.1% |
| CBRE (V) Pty Ltd | 2 | $13m | 100.0% |
| AMBULANCE VICTORIA | 1 | $12m | 100.0% |
Largest contracts
Suppliers who are individuals are counted in the totals above but not listed. Why
Professional services by kind of work
Contracts active in 2026-27 that AusTender files under “management and business professionals”, sorted by an AI model reading each contract’s description. AI-classified estimate: annualised
A further $645k across 7 contracts has descriptions too vague to classify with confidence, and is left out of the categories above.
In 2024-25 the entity reported paying $5.6m on consultancy contracts (cash, including GST). Contracts classified as consultancy come to $6.5m for that year (AusTender values spread over each contract’s term). The two are measured differently, so they are not expected to match. How we classify.
Grants awarded
Grants active in 2026-27, from GrantConnect. Each grant’s total value is spread across its term. estimate: annualised
- Grants active
- 531
- 2026-27 est.
- $46m
- Recipients
- 409
- Without an open round
- 36.0% of value
By category
Largest recipients
Recipients who are individuals, and awards that name no single recipient, are counted above but not listed. Why
| Recipient | Grants | 2026-27 est. |
|---|---|---|
| RSL LifeCare Limited | 9 | $7.6m |
| The Salvation Army (NT) Social Work | 1 | $2.6m |
| The Returned & Services League of Australia WA Branch Incorporated | 6 | $2.4m |
| Lives Lived Well Limited | 2 | $1.8m |
| Returned & Services League of Australia (Victoria Branch) | 1 | $1.8m |
| Returned & Service League of Australia (Queensland Branch) | 1 | $1.8m |
| The Returned & Services League of Australia Tasmania Branch Incorporated | 1 | $1.4m |
| Air Force Association WA Limited | 3 | $1.2m |
| Legacy Club Services | 8 | $1.2m |
| Roseberry Community Services Ltd | 1 | $1.1m |
| The Returned & Services League of Australia (Tasmania Branch) Inc. | 2 | $1.1m |
| Vasey RSL Care Ltd | 1 | $1.1m |
| Coffs Harbour Legacy Welfare Fund | 3 | $1.1m |
| Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) | 2 | $651k |
| Returned & Services League of Australia (Victorian Branch) Inc. | 1 | $612k |
Contract spending reported by the entity
What the entity reported in its annual reports, from the Transparency Portal: cash paid in each year, including GST. These are actual payments, unlike the AusTender contract values above. They are shown as published and are not used in any total on this site. reported
| Year | Consultancy | Other contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | $5.6m 44 contracts |
$197m 4797 contracts |
| 2023-24 | $3.1m 35 contracts |
$193m 3047 contracts |
| 2022-23 | $11m 64 contracts |
$230m 3245 contracts |
| 2021-22 | $14m 90 contracts |
$217m 3564 contracts |
Organisations paid the most in 2024-25
As listed by the entity, usually its five largest of each type. Organisations who are individuals are not listed. Why
| Consultancy | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| AUSTRALIAN INST OF HEALTH and WELFARE | $1.7m |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE | $348k |
| LA TROBE UNIVERSITY | $330k |
| BOND UNIVERSITY | $325k |
| NOUS GROUP | $307k |
| Other contracts | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| BUPA HEALTH SERVICES PTY LTD | $43m |
| JONES LANG LASALLE (ACT) PTY LTD | $41m |
| FDC CONSTRUCTION and FITOUT (ACT) PTY LTD | $9.1m |
| SYNERGY GROUP AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | $8.2m |
| DFP RECRUITMENT | $4.5m |