Defence goods and services tender writing using ASDEFCON

Win Defence goods and services tenders with responses that fit the ASDEFCON structure, answer every requirement, and make your offer easy to evaluate.

Bidsmith helps Defence suppliers respond under the ASDEFCON suite. Our team includes former Defence staff who have authored ASDEFCON documents, requested and assessed ASDEFCON tenders, and managed ASDEFCON contracts from the Defence client side. This gives you support that goes beyond writing, because we understand how the suite documents connect, how Defence evaluates responses, and how contract positions play out after award.

Defence ASDEFCON Suite

Quick definition

ASDEFCON tender writing is the process of packaging your solution, evidence, and commercial position so it fits ASDEFCON tender schedules, aligns with linked suite documents and contract obligations, and answers what Defence assessors score.

Quick summary

We support suppliers responding to

Open RFTs under ASDEFCON
Open panel, standing offer, and Deed of Standing Offer requests under ASDEFCON
Panel sourcing activities that draw down from standing offers and panels
ASDEFCON Services and ASDEFCON Support procurements
ASDEFCON standing offer tender responses for goods and services

Who we help

Best fit clients

Equipment and materiel suppliers responding under ASDEFCON
Maintenance and sustainment providers supporting Defence capabilities
SMEs and mid-tier providers that can prove previous performance and present a clear solution and support approach

Sometimes a fit

Subcontractors and teaming partners where Defence expects a standalone work package response and evidence set

Not a fit

Providers who cannot meet the purchaser’s requirements or mandatory assurance expectations
Responses built from generic tender copy that does not reflect ASDEFCON schedule structure and linked contract obligations

ASDEFCON readiness check

If you can confidently answer yes to most of these, you are usually in a strong position to respond to ASDEFCON procurements.

You can provide past performance evidence that matches Defence outcomes and environments
You can describe your solution and support approach in operational terms, not marketing language
You can address DISP, cyber, and export control requirements where applicable
You can state technical data, IP, and software rights positions clearly
You can produce an AIC response with credible Australian delivery detail

If you are not there yet, we can still help you identify gaps and decide what to fix before you lodge.

What you get

You get end-to-end support across the tender period, not just writing.

Typical outputs include

Response plan aligned to ASDEFCON schedules and evaluation criteria
Compliance mapping across schedules, attachments, and linked suite documents
Draft responses for each schedule in the required format
Evidence pack list and document register
Review and red-team style feedback aligned to how Defence reads ASDEFCON submissions
Submission readiness support, including cross-references, document consistency, and lodgement checks

We can work within your security and confidentiality constraints and structure evidence in a way that satisfies tender requirements without disclosing sensitive details unnecessarily.

What we help you deliver in ASDEFCON responses

ASDEFCON tenders often require discipline across schedules, evidence, and interlinked documents. We help you build responses that are complete and easy to score.

Past performance and tenderer profile

Tenderer profile and past performance evidence
Relevant experience mapped to scope, scale, and environment
Staff and skills profile, including key roles and availability

Solution and support system description

Solution description, including operational and technical overviews
System descriptions and architecture narrative
Support systems and sustainment resources
Support approach, governance, and reporting

Security, cyber, and assurance

DISP and other security requirements
Cyber security approach and assurance evidence
Export controls, including ITAR and Australian export controls, where applicable

Commercial, data rights, and contract positions

Commercial overview and contract positioning
Technical data and software rights, IP, and data rights positioning
GFM and GFF responses, where required

AIC and local capability

Australian Industry Capability response and supporting evidence
AIC delivery detail that is measurable and credible

Risk, schedule, and governance

Risk assessments and integrated risk management approach
Contract Master Schedule and work breakdown structure narrative
Project strategy and delivery approach

Most critical elements for equipment and materiel suppliers

Previous performance
Solution description

We anchor both in a strong AIC response and integrated risk management, because those areas often drive evaluator confidence.

How Defence evaluates ASDEFCON tenders

Across ASDEFCON Services, ASDEFCON Support, and standing offers, including deeds, Defence commonly looks for evidence that your solution is real, supportable, and low risk to implement and sustain.

Common criteria you should expect to address include

Previous performance
Solution description
Risk management
Australian Industry Capability

We aim to win on

Solution description
Previous performance

We then reinforce both with AIC credibility and risk controls that show Defence how you will deliver safely and consistently.

What Defence assessors look for in ASDEFCON tenders

Response completeness and correct cross-referencing across documents
Evidence that your solution is deliverable, supportable, and low risk
Past performance that matches the scope, scale, and environment
AIC that is specific, measurable, and tied to delivery
Risk controls that prevent schedule, security, and sustainment failures
Commercial positions that are consistent and do not create contract friction

Common compliance and assurance requirements

ASDEFCON tenders often include mandatory requirements that must be satisfied before scoring even starts, plus assurance expectations that strongly influence evaluation confidence.

Common requirements include

DISP and security classification handling
Cyber requirements and security plans
Export controls, including ITAR and Australian export controls, where applicable
IP, software licensing, technical data, and data rights
Quality systems such as ISO 9001, where relevant
WHS obligations
Modern Slavery requirements
Australian Industry Capability plans and reporting
ILS and support system artefacts, where required

Checklist before you lodge

ASDEFCON submissions often fail due to small omissions or inconsistencies. We help you avoid that.

We check that you have

Answered every item in the required structure
Mapped attachments and evidence to the correct questions
Kept terminology consistent across schedules and annexures
Made data rights and IP positions consistent across the response
Aligned security and cyber content to DISP and tender requirements
Supported AIC claims with credible Australian delivery detail
Aligned the risk register to the solution and support approach
Aligned CMS and WBS narrative with the delivery approach and resourcing

How we work with your SMEs

We harness the knowledge held by your SMEs, then present it in the most compelling way within the ASDEFCON framework. Our job is to ask the right questions, extract the nuance in your solution, and express it in evaluator-ready language.

Week 1 analysis and planning

Detailed analysis of the tender documents and the linked suite documents
Response planning across every returnable and required attachment
Breakdown of work so each SME only sees what they need to complete
Roadmap and input plan so your team knows what is needed and when

Week 2 SME extraction and drafting

Working sessions that translate technical and commercial knowledge into structured responses
Rapid consolidation into schedule-aligned drafts with evidence mapping
Early compliance checks to prevent rework late in the tender period

SMEs we commonly work with include

Engineering leads
ILS leads
Commercial manager
Product managers
Program managers
Technology specialists

Why suppliers choose Bidsmith for ASDEFCON tenders

Many providers can write content. Fewer understand the ASDEFCON suite as a connected system of tender documents and contract obligations.

Bidsmith differs because

We have authored suite documents while employed by Defence
We have requested and assessed tenders using the ASDEFCON suite
We have managed ASDEFCON contracts from the Defence client side
We understand how tender schedules connect to contract clauses, annexures, and supporting suite documents
We help frame a commercially safe and compelling response, not just populate templates

Featured Defence case example

Experience the power of a professional tender consultant.

How Bidsmith helped a shipping company secure a spot on a Department of Defence panel.

This example shows how we structured schedule responses, strengthened evidence, and aligned the offer to Defence panel requirements.

More winning tender examples

Contact us

If you are responding to an ASDEFCON Services, ASDEFCON Support, standing offer, deed of standing offer, or panel sourcing request and want a response that is complete, compliant, and commercially safe, contact us to discuss your tender and receive a fixed price fee proposal.

Which ASDEFCON forms do you support

We regularly support ASDEFCON Services and ASDEFCON Support, including ASDEFCON standing offer tender responses for goods and services.

Do you help with open RFTs, standing offers, deeds, and panel sourcing

Yes. We support open RFTs plus open panel and standing offer requests, including deed of standing offer arrangements and panel sourcing activities that draw down from panels.

What do you need from us to start

We need the tender documents and schedules, your deadline, and a first pass of key inputs such as solution information, previous performance evidence, security and cyber posture, AIC details, plus commercial and risk inputs.

Why do ASDEFCON tenders fail

They often fail because schedules are incomplete, responses do not align across linked documents, evidence does not support claims, or commercial and data rights positions create risk. We prevent this with schedule discipline, evidence mapping, and Defence-side ASDEFCON experience.

Do you work with equipment and materiel suppliers

Yes. Equipment and materiel suppliers are a primary focus for this page, and we structure responses to strengthen previous performance and solution description, anchored in AIC and risk management.