Preferred Supplier Program / Reference Information / Education Australia

Preferred Supplier
ProgramReference Information

This resource provides factual reference information on Education Australia’s Preferred Supplier Program, including its structure, supplier assessment, the education network and how supplier information is handled. It is intended as supplementary material for anyone evaluating information about the program.

Published Figures as at Jurisdiction Australia

  • 9,823Australian education institutions
  • 39,292Contacts within institutions
  • 4–5Suppliers per funding stream
  • 0%Commission on supplier work

Summary of key facts

What the program is
A program that connects independently vetted suppliers with Australian education institutions through Education Australia’s funding resources.
Who runs it
Education Australia, an independent consultancy. It operates independently of the government.
Role in funding
Provides information on government funding and guidance on the application process. Does not administer or award funding, and does not submit applications on behalf of institutions.
Role in purchasing
Does not run tenders or make purchasing decisions. Each institution chooses its own suppliers.
How it is funded
Institutional subscriptions to EduAccess, and an annual program fee paid by Preferred Suppliers, tiered according to supplier capacity. No commission is taken on work secured by suppliers.
Supplier numbers
Each category is limited to 4–5 suppliers per funding stream. Category exclusivity is available only at Corporate level.
Enquiry data
Enquiry averages are not published, because suppliers are not required to report enquiries to Education Australia.
Confidentiality
Preferred Suppliers are listed publicly. Contact details, contract terms and commercial results remain confidential. Results are published only with the supplier’s written permission.

Section I / About Education Australia

About Education Australia

Education Australia is an award-winning independent consultancy working nationally across the Australian education sector. It advises education institutions on funding opportunities and grants, and independently vets suppliers so that institutions can access trusted providers and make effective use of available funding.

Education Australia operates independently of the government. It provides information on government funding and guidance on the application process, but does not administer or award funding or submit applications on behalf of institutions. It does not run tenders or make purchasing decisions; each institution chooses its own suppliers.

Education Australia is funded through institutional subscriptions to EduAccess, its online funding portal, and an annual program fee paid by Preferred Suppliers, tiered according to supplier capacity. It does not take commission on work secured by suppliers.

Section II / How the Program Works

How the Program Works

The Preferred Supplier Program connects vetted suppliers with education institutions through Education Australia’s funding resources.

  1. Application

    Education Australia’s Funding & Research team assesses how the supplier’s products or services align with relevant funding programs and grants.

  2. Onboarding

    Approved suppliers join the network and are assigned a dedicated coordinator.

  3. Placement

    The coordinator positions the supplier within relevant resources, including the EduAccess portal and the National Funding & Procurement Guide, in line with an agreed schedule.

  4. Direct engagement

    Institutions contact suppliers directly. Suppliers manage their own enquiries, quotes, client relationships and delivery. Any enquiry Education Australia receives about a supplier is passed on to them.

Purchasing decisions rest with each institution and reflect its own needs and priorities. A supplier’s results also depend on factors within its own control, such as its responsiveness to enquiries, the quality of its follow-up, its capacity, and how effectively its offering is presented to education buyers. A demonstration of EduAccess and a sample of the National Funding & Procurement Guide are available to prospective suppliers on request.

Suppliers are not required to report enquiries to Education Australia, so enquiry averages are not published. Enquiry volume varies according to industry, service area, funding availability and timing, and school demand.

Section III / The Education Network

The Education Network

As at , the network includes 9,823 Australian education institutions and 39,292 contacts within those institutions, such as principals, business managers and facilities managers.

Supplier numbers are determined by the needs of the sector. Each category is limited to 4–5 suppliers per funding stream. This gives institutions a genuine choice of vetted providers, with enough combined capacity to deliver the work that funding makes possible, while keeping each supplier’s presence within a category clear and distinct.

Because institutions rely on that choice and capacity, standard participation does not include category exclusivity. Exclusivity is available only at Corporate level.

Current Preferred Suppliers are listed publicly on Education Australia’s Preferred Suppliers page, and are contacted directly through their own channels. Education Australia does not share suppliers’ contact details or results, and extends the same confidentiality to every supplier.

Section IV / Supplier Information

Supplier Information

All Preferred Suppliers are listed publicly on the Education Australia website. Contact details, contract terms and commercial results remain confidential and are not shared with other suppliers or prospects. A supplier’s results are published only with its written permission.

Education Australia collects only the information required to assess, onboard and list a supplier. This information is handled in accordance with Education Australia’s Privacy Policy, its AI and Data Handling Policy, and the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). It is not entered into public AI tools or used to train AI models.

  • Public: the supplier’s listing on the Education Australia website.
  • Confidential: contact details, contract terms and commercial results.
  • Published only with written permission: a supplier’s results.
  • Never used: public AI tools, or AI model training.

Section V / Terms Used

Terms Used

Preferred Supplier
A business that has met Education Australia’s application criteria and been accepted into the program.
Approval
Confirmation that a business meets the criteria to join the program.
Funding alignment
The Funding & Research team’s assessment of how a supplier’s offering relates to available government funding and grants.
EduAccess
Education Australia’s subscription-based funding portal for education institutions.
National Funding & Procurement Guide
An Education Australia resource outlining funding opportunities and the Preferred Suppliers aligned with them.