Procurement rules
The Procurement Rules are a Ministerial Direction under the Procurement Act 1995 .
They set the mandatory process that NT Government staff must follow when buying goods, services and works.
For suppliers, the rules explain:
- how opportunities will be advertised
- how offers will be assessed
- what approvals are needed before a contract is awarded
- when you will be notified and offered a debrief.
Read the new rules:
You can also read the previous rules:
General Requirements
Agencies must follow consistent governance practices.
This includes:
- keeping accurate records
- managing conflicts of interest
- applying segregation of duties (no one person controls every step)
- using complaint handling processes if issues are raised.
These requirements ensure procurement decisions can be reviewed if needed.
Planning Requirements
Before going to market, agencies must:
- prepare annual and project-specific procurement plans
- do market research
- include local content and Aboriginal participation requirements where required
- choose the right procurement method for the value and risk.
This planning stage sets the assessment criteria and weightings that will apply to your response.
Sourcing Requirements
During sourcing, agencies must:
- use standard request and contract templates
- advertise opportunities for the required minimum period
- only accept responses received before the closing time, unless approved by the agency
- assess offers using the approved assessment methodology
- document evaluation decisions and get approvals
- notify successful and unsuccessful suppliers and offer debriefs.
This ensures suppliers are treated consistently and fairly.
Contract Management Requirements
Once a contract is awarded, agencies must:
- appoint a contract manager
- monitor performance and compliance
- manage approved variations and extensions
- complete contract close-out activities.
Supplier performance is recorded and may be considered in future procurement decisions.
Exceptions and Exemptions
In some cases, agencies may buy directly or use special approval processes, such as in an emergency or when only one supplier can provide the goods or services.
These exemptions must be documented and approved.