Entity
Department of Defence
+$216m (+0.3%) on 2025-26 estimated actual
Kind of expense
Not shown in the chart because the 2026-27 amount is zero or negative: Program 2.23 Other Administered (−$48m).
Traced to named suppliers and grant recipients
$27.7bn falls in 2026-27, equal to 39.0% of this total: $27.6bn in contracts and $83m 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 2.7 Air Force CapabilitiesTo provide air power capabilities that contribute to the Australian Defence Force’s capacity to defend Australia, contri… | $10.5bn | $11.2bn | +$670m +6.4% | 15.7% | – |
| Program 2.5 Navy CapabilitiesTo provide maritime capabilities that contribute to the Australian Defence Force’s capacity to defend Australia, contrib… | $12.2bn | $12.6bn | +$451m +3.7% | 17.8% | – |
| Program 2.20 Defence Force Superannuation Benefits Program and Program 2.21 Defence Force Superannuation Nominal Interest | $9.4bn | $9.8bn | +$432m +4.6% | 13.9% | – |
| Program 2.15 Naval Shipbuilding and SustainmentTo deliver maritime capability through the acquisition and sustainment of naval vessels for Navy and Army, while support… | $394m | $775m | +$382m +96.9% | 1.1% | – |
| Program 2.14 Defence IntelligenceDeliver high-quality and timely intelligence services that achieve Government intelligence priorities. | $1.1bn | $1.4bn | +$334m +30.0% | 2.0% | – |
| Program 2.4 Joint CapabilitiesTo provide space, cyber and logistics capabilities; that contribute to the Australian Defence Force's capacity to defend… | $2.5bn | $2.7bn | +$274m +11.1% | 3.9% | – |
| Program 2.11 Defence DigitalA modern, secure, sustainable and scalable information environment to enable Australian Defence Force Operations and sup… | $1.7bn | $2.0bn | +$242m +14.1% | 2.8% | – |
| Program 2.2 Defence Executive SupportTo integrate parts of Defence to deliver more effective and efficient outcomes, particularly in the areas of service del… | $585m | $713m | +$129m +22.0% | 1.0% | – |
| Program 2.12 Defence PeopleTo deliver a program that enables the required people capability to operate and support Defence equipment and systems, a… | $2.0bn | $2.1bn | +$101m +5.1% | 2.9% | – |
| Program 2.19 Defence Trusts and Joint AccountsRevenues f rom other sources Total Expenditure Defence | Page 51 | $116m | $178m | +$62m +53.4% | 0.3% | – |
| Program 1.1 - Operations Contributing to the Safety of the Immediate Neighbourhood | $70m | $130m | +$60m +86.6% | 0.2% | – |
| Program 2.9 Capability Acquisition and SustainmentTo acquire and sustain Defence equipment, including supplies and services, in the quantities and to the service levels r… | $1.6bn | $1.6bn | +$58m +3.7% | 2.3% | – |
| Program 2.22 Housing AssistanceNotes a. Negative amounts denote revenue. b. Licence fees are charged to home loan providers under the DHOAS. The home l… | $274m | $318m | +$44m +16.1% | 0.4% | – |
| Program 1.3 - Defence Contribution to National Support Tasks in AustraliaTo undertake tasks that include: planning and conduct of operations to provide security of the Australian coastline from… | $130m | $166m | +$35m +27.1% | 0.2% | – |
| Program 2.13 Defence Science and TechnologyTo develop innovative technologies that can be delivered by industry and transitioned into Defence capability, and to sh… | $554m | $559m | +$5.3m +1.0% | 0.8% | – |
| Program 2.23 Other Administered | −$48m | −$48m | −$13k – | -0.1% | – |
| Program 2.3 Defence FinanceTo produce quality financial products to deliver Defence and Government-directed outcomes. | $213m | $192m | −$21m −9.8% | 0.3% | – |
| Program 1.2 - Operations Supporting Wider InterestsOperations supporting wider interests are designed to contribute to United Nations’ and international efforts to uphold… | $149m | $109m | −$40m −26.7% | 0.2% | – |
| Program 2.1 Strategy, Policy and IndustryTo deliver high-quality policy advice to Government, the Secretary and Chief of the Defence Force, to protect and advanc… | $809m | $757m | −$52m −6.4% | 1.1% | – |
| Program 2.8 Australian Defence Force HeadquartersTo design, integrate and prepare military capability that meets the current and future requirements of Government, and c… | $737m | $681m | −$56m −7.6% | 1.0% | – |
| Program 2.10 Security and EstateTo deliver integrated security, estate and infrastructure services to enable Defence Force Operations and to contribute… | $7.3bn | $7.2bn | −$60m −0.8% | 10.2% | – |
| Program 2.6 Army CapabilitiesTo prepare land forces, including special operations forces, which contribute to the Australian Defence Force’s capacity… | $13.5bn | $13.3bn | −$243m −1.8% | 18.7% | – |
| Program 2.16 Nuclear-Powered SubmarinesProtect and advance Australia’s national interests through the acquisition, delivery, construction, technical governance… | $5.0bn | $2.4bn | −$2.6bn −51.5% | 3.4% | – |
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 166 contracts · $1.5bn
The contract’s value rose after it was first published. - Published long after it started 130 contracts · $235m
The contract notice was published more than six months after the contract’s start date. - Several contracts just under the open-tender threshold 32 contracts · $3.3m
The same agency awarded the same supplier several contracts by limited tender, each valued just below the open-tender threshold, in one financial year. - Repeated limited tenders to one supplier 1577 contracts · $1.9bn
The same agency awarded the same supplier several contracts by limited tender in one financial year. - Grew past the open-tender threshold 58 contracts · $9.5m
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 17 contracts · $569m
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
- 16926
- Suppliers
- 4055
- Limited tender
- 54.6% of value · 12076 contracts
- Value added by amendments
- $30.3bn across 3117 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FMS ACCOUNT RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA US Foreign Military Sales | 164 | $2.8bn | 100.0% |
| HANWHA DEFENSE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 4 | $942m | 2.5% |
| DHA - CENTRAL OFFICE | 4 | $747m | 100.0% |
| THALES AUSTRALIA | 450 | $694m | 67.2% |
| VENTIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 8 | $651m | 0.1% |
| BOEING DEFENCE AUSTRALIA LTD | 89 | $621m | 94.4% |
| AUSTAL DEFENCE SHIPBUILDING AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 4 | $599m | 100.0% |
| VIVA ENERGY AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 37 | $571m | 0.0% |
| MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. | 1 | $565m | 100.0% |
| BAE SYSTEMS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 84 | $537m | 83.9% |
| SPOTLESS FACILITY SERVICES PTY LTD | 20 | $524m | 0.1% |
| ASC PTY LTD | 7 | $477m | 100.0% |
| SITZLER PTY LTD | 5 | $476m | 32.3% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 27 | $473m | 99.2% |
| TOLL REMOTE LOGISTICS PTY LTD | 129 | $439m | 0.0% |
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 $832m across 664 contracts has descriptions too vague to classify with confidence, and is left out of the categories above.
In 2024-25 the entity reported paying $136m on consultancy contracts (cash, including GST). Contracts classified as consultancy come to $349m 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
- 327
- 2026-27 est.
- $83m
- Recipients
- 267
- Without an open round
- 0.7% of value
Includes $3k in awards the agency reported in aggregate, for many recipients at once, such as disaster payments.
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. |
|---|---|---|
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED | 2 | $8.9m |
| ROSEBANK ENGINEERING PTY LTD | 9 | $8.8m |
| NQ SPARK PTY LTD | 1 | $5.7m |
| AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING | 1 | $4.1m |
| United Nations Department of Peace Operations | 1 | $2.5m |
| MOOG AUSTRALIA PROPRIETARY LIMITED | 1 | $2.3m |
| KBE PTY LIMITED | 3 | $1.2m |
| RIVIERRA DISCRETIONARY TRUST | 2 | $1.1m |
| RFD AUSTRALIA | 1 | $1.1m |
| STELLA ENGINEERING PTY LIMITED | 2 | $993k |
| AURORA LABS LTD | 2 | $897k |
| COP-A-MATE PRODUCTS PTY LTD | 2 | $849k |
| PROTONAUTICS PTY LTD | 3 | $846k |
| United Nations Department of Operational Support | 2 | $806k |
| PRESTIGE PRECISION TOOLS PTY LTD | 2 | $804k |
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 | $136m 322 contracts |
$36.6bn 34158 contracts |
| 2023-24 | $160m 342 contracts |
$32.8bn 38573 contracts |
| 2022-23 | $178m 540 contracts |
$33.0bn 40297 contracts |
| 2021-22 | $170m 622 contracts |
$32.4bn 45045 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 |
|---|---|
| Jacobs Group | $26m |
| Boston Consulting Group | $11m |
| Deloitte | $8.3m |
| Clayton Utz | $6.7m |
| Aecom | $5.5m |
| Other contracts | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| BAE Systems Australia | $1.2bn |
| Boeing Defence Australia | $1.1bn |
| Thales Australia Limited | $937m |
| Bupa | $859m |
| ASC Shipbuilding Pty Ltd | $837m |