The People Panel – Professional Contractor Services is part of the broader People Panel arrangement. It enables Commonwealth entities to engage professional contractors for specialised, short-term work.
The panel was established by the Department of Finance through an open tender conducted in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. Submissions were assessed through a value for money evaluation, considering capacity, capability, experience, pricing and compliance with the request for tender criteria
A service provider is considered ‘on the panel’ once they have been assessed and selected to deliver services in one or more service categories.
Panel term
The panel has an initial term of four years, commencing on 1 July 2026 and ending on 30 June 2030. It may be extended for up to four additional years in accordance with the Head Agreement.
Scope of services
Phase 3 covers professional contractor services delivered by individuals with specialised expertise, qualifications and experience.
A professional contractor:
- is a natural person engaged by a service provider (including sole traders or individuals engaged indirectly)
- is not an employee of the engaging entity
- performs work under the entity’s supervision, either onsite or at another agreed location.
Services are grouped into four categories:
Financial and audit services
- General financial services
- Audit services
- Specialised services
Corporate services
- Organisation planning and development
- Human resources
- Corporate governance
- Community and stakeholder engagement
- Communications (excluding campaign advertising and services under the Government Communications Campaign Panel)
- Quality management
Commercial services
- Program and project management
- Contract management
- Procurement and acquisitions
- Research (excluding campaign advertising and government advertising services)
- Data analytics and management
Other services
- Authoring and writing services
- Dental, medical and allied health
- Scientific services
- Security services
Detailed service descriptions, subcategories and exclusions are available in the panel’s scope of services document.
Who can use the panel
The panel is mandatory for non-corporate Commonwealth entities (NCEs). It is optional for:
- corporate Commonwealth entities (CCEs)
- Commonwealth companies (CCs)
- Government Business Enterprises (GBEs).
Optional entities must be approved by the Department of Finance through a Deed of Participation before they can access the panel. Access is granted once the executed deed is returned to Finance.
Requests to participate can be submitted to peoplepanelcontract@finance.gov.au, where Finance will assess the request and provide participation requirements
Accessing and using the panel
The panel is accessed through AusTender’s Dynamic Sourcing for Panels (DS4P), which allows entities to:
- access approved panel arrangements
- issue requests to the market, including Requests for Quotation (RFQs)
- invite relevant service providers
- receive and manage responses consistently
- access panel documentation and templates.
Access to DS4P is typically managed by an entity’s central procurement team.
Entities that do not use DS4P may conduct procurement processes in line with the Head Agreement and their internal procedures.
Finding service providers
Service provider information is available through several sources, including:
- the People Panel website
- the Supplier Portal
- AusTender and DS4P.
The People Panel search tool allows users to identify:
- panel service providers
- the service subcategories they are approved to deliver.
A consolidated list of providers and their approved categories is available in the seller matrix.
Engaging a professional contractor
Professional contractor services should be used where work is:
- specialised and requires relevant qualifications and experience
- not appropriate for an ongoing APS role
- not labour hire covered by other panels
- short term (typically up to 24 months)
- within the scope of the panel.
Entities engage service providers by issuing an RFQ, typically through DS4P.
When issuing an RFQ, entities should clearly specify:
- the work level standard
- service area, category and descriptor
- required security clearances
- number of contractors
- estimated duration (for example, number of working days).
Pricing and fees
Engagements are generally priced using a daily rate per contractor role, consistent with the Head Agreement and the details specified in the RFQ and Order.
The daily rate:
- includes GST and employment-related costs
- must comply with any maximum rates in the Head Agreement
- may include agreed discounts.
Entities must also pay a coordinated procurement fee to Finance. The fee:
- is set at 1.5 per cent of the GST exclusive contract commitment based on information reported by entities in AusTender
- is paid by the entity (not the service provider)
- is used to support panel administration, monitoring and refresh activities.
Panel documentation and resources
Panel documentation, including word templates, is available through DS4P and includes:
- Request for Quotation template
- Order for Services template
- Variation to Order template
- Head Agreement
- service provider information.
Entities should contact their central procurement team to obtain the latest versions.
Some documentation and supporting resources are also available through the People Panel webpage and GovTEAMS community, depending on access requirements.
Accessing panel rates
Service provider rates are available via a secure Finance GovTeams community. Access to the community is generally limited to central procurement teams and where a clear business need for access is demonstrated.
Contact your central procurement team in the first instance to access rates.
To request access to the secure pricing channel, contact the People Panel contract management team via email at peoplepanelcontract@finance.gov.au.
Security, compliance and contractor requirements
The engaging entity:
- manages and directs the contractor’s day-to-day activities
The service provider:
- remains responsible for employment obligations
- must ensure personnel meet required work levels, clearances and conduct requirements.
Entities must specify any required security clearance in the RFQ and Order. Service providers must comply with the Protective Security Policy Framework and any entity-specific requirements.
Insurance requirements (such as public liability, professional indemnity and workers compensation) must meet the minimum levels in the Head Agreement or any higher requirements set in the RFQ and Order.
Panel refresh and ongoing management
Finance manages the panel on behalf of participating entities. This includes ongoing monitoring and periodic refresh activities.
Panel refreshes may involve:
- adding or removing service providers
- updating service categories.
Refresh opportunities are advertised through AusTender, and new suppliers can only join the panel through these formal processes.
Transition and out-of-scope services
Existing arrangements that overlap with Phase 3 services should be transitioned to the panel where appropriate. This should be managed in consultation with service providers and with appropriate legal advice.
Services that are outside the scope of the panel may continue to be sourced through other arrangements.
Refer to the Transition Guide for further information.
Contacts
For further information or to request access to the panel or supporting systems, contact peoplepanelcontract@finance.gov.au.
