Entity
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
−$1.6bn (−22.1%) on 2025-26 estimated actual
Kind of expense
Traced to named suppliers and grant recipients
$2.6bn falls in 2026-27, equal to 45.7% of this total: $2.1bn in contracts and $497m 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 1.1: Employment Services | $2.0bn | $2.2bn | +$193m +9.6% | 39.3% | – |
| Outcome 1 | $578m | $644m | +$65m +11.3% | 11.5% | – |
| Program 3.1: Workplace SupportThis program contributes to the outcome through: • the promotion of fair workplaces by ensuring the protection of employ… | $635m | $637m | +$1.5m +0.2% | 11.4% | – |
| Program 2.3: DEWR - Nuclear-powered Submarine Program | $1.9m | $2.8m | +$977k +52.6% | 0.1% | – |
| Outcome 3 | $102m | $96m | −$6.6m −6.5% | 1.7% | – |
| Program 3.2: Workers' Compensation PaymentsThis program contributes to the outcome by managing the Comcare Workers’ Compensation Scheme. | $68m | $59m | −$9.0m −13.3% | 1.1% | – |
| Outcome 2 | $351m | $336m | −$14m −4.1% | 6.0% | – |
| Program 2.1: Building Skills and CapabilityThe government is working to create an effective and efficient skills and training system that is industry led and deliv… | $2.2bn | $1.5bn | −$657m −30.4% | 26.9% | – |
| Program 2.2: VET Student LoansThe program aims to remove the up-front cost barriers to training to increase access and participation. This is achieved… | $1.3bn | $118m | −$1.2bn −90.8% | 2.1% | – |
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 10 contracts · $457m
The contract’s value rose after it was first published. - Published long after it started 17 contracts · $642m
The contract notice was published more than six months after the contract’s start date.
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
- 1539
- Suppliers
- 662
- Limited tender
- 3.7% of value · 365 contracts
- Value added by amendments
- $3.2bn across 593 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERENDIPITY WA PTY LTD | 3 | $132m | 0.0% |
| WORKSKIL AUSTRALIA LTD. | 2 | $104m | 0.0% |
| The Trustee for the Salvation Army (Victoria) Property Trust | 3 | $83m | 0.0% |
| Atwork Australia Pty Ltd | 1 | $78m | 0.0% |
| MAX EMPLOYMENT | 9 | $78m | 0.0% |
| CHAMBERS APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT AUSTRALIA PTY LTD T/A | 1 | $67m | 0.0% |
| MEGT (AUSTRALIA) LTD | 2 | $59m | 0.0% |
| MTC FutureReady Limited | 2 | $53m | 0.0% |
| Data#3 Limited Formerly: Data #3 Business | 14 | $49m | 0.0% |
| SYC Ltd | 3 | $49m | 0.0% |
| ENTERPRISE & TRAINING COMPANY LIMITED | 3 | $49m | 0.0% |
| Karingal St Laurence Limited | 1 | $47m | 0.0% |
| THE BUSY GROUP LTD | 1 | $46m | 0.0% |
| Job Futures Ltd | 1 | $45m | 0.0% |
| Wise Employment Ltd | 2 | $45m | 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 $709k across 5 contracts has descriptions too vague to classify with confidence, and is left out of the categories above.
In 2024-25 the entity reported paying $4.3m on consultancy contracts (cash, including GST). Contracts classified as consultancy come to $6.3m 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
- 250
- 2026-27 est.
- $497m
- Recipients
- 180
- Without an open round
- 0.5% of value
Includes $244m 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. |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Skills Organisation Limited | 1 | $14m |
| BuildSkills Australia Ltd | 1 | $13m |
| HumanAbility Ltd | 1 | $13m |
| SkillsEQuipped Ltd | 1 | $13m |
| Skill Insight Ltd | 1 | $12m |
| Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance Ltd | 1 | $12m |
| Industry Skills Australia Ltd | 1 | $11m |
| Powering Skills Organisation Ltd | 1 | $11m |
| Mining and Automotive Skills Alliance Ltd | 1 | $11m |
| Australian Council of Trade Unions | 2 | $10m |
| Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Limited | 1 | $9.9m |
| Public Safety Skills Australia Ltd | 1 | $9.0m |
| Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry | 3 | $5.5m |
| Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia Limited | 2 | $5.3m |
| Ai Group Limited | 2 | $4.1m |
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 | $4.3m 39 contracts |
$2.5bn 2845 contracts |
| 2023-24 | $8.2m 53 contracts |
$2.4bn 2884 contracts |
| 2022-23 | $24m 73 contracts |
$2.6bn 3463 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 |
|---|---|
| KPMG | $1.3m |
| Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu | $515k |
| NOUS Group Pty Ltd | $330k |
| Callida Pty Ltd | $310k |
| The Trustee for Dandolo Partners Unit Trust | $241k |
| Allen and Clarke Consulting Pty Ltd | $229k |
| Other contracts | 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| Serendipity (WA) Pty Ltd | $209m |
| Workskil Australia Ltd. | $111m |
| Atwork Australia Pty Ltd | $87m |
| Asuria People Services Pty Ltd | $84m |
| Job Futures Ltd | $66m |