• Visit BuyICT.gov.au to find out more, including how to access the arrangements. 

  • Why is it important

    The DTA provides digital sourcing advice and support to over 300 government organisations and over 2,900 approved sellers (April 2025) on a broad range of ICT procurement matters from simple to complex. 

    The government currently receives significant financial benefits from the DTAs Marketplaces and Arrangements through discounts and the avoidance of duplicative costs. 

    As an example, in the 2023-24 financial year the DTA delivered substantial savings and efficiencies through our panels and arrangements, resulting in an estimated return of $6.4 million to the consolidated revenue fund. These achievements are crucial as they demonstrate our commitment to providing value for money to the government.

    In addition, we provide advice on the application of digital sourcing policies and manage the process for policy exemptions for contracts exceeding the $100M value limit or the 3-year term limit of the Digital Sourcing Contract Limits and Reviews Policy. 

    What agencies need to do 

    When buying digital products and services for government, agencies need to understand when and how to use the DTA’s digital sourcing policies and whole-of-government procurement arrangements. They also need to know how to buy digital products and services in line with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules and relevant procurement connected policies. 

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  • Find out more about buying digital products and services for government.

  • What the DTA will do 

    Our marketplaces provide government buyers with access to evaluated sellers who offer a range of digital products and services and have been assessed against relevant criteria and procurement connected policies, saving buyers time and resources. 

    Our Single Seller Arrangements offer pre-negotiated contracts with strategically identified sellers. These arrangements deliver cost efficiencies to government by aggregating demand and have better terms and conditions than traditionally offered by the sellers.

    We also manage the policies that govern how agencies buy digital products and services which aim to simplify government procurement and level the playing field for industry sellers.

  • Provides assurance to government that projects are on-track to deliver expected benefits. 

  • Public evaluation briefing

    Thank you to those who attended our public briefing on Friday 25 October 2024. Catch up on the briefing below or download a copy of the slide deck (PDF, 120KB).

    In the coming weeks, the DTA will publish answers to questions from attendees on this page. To receive updates, consider subscribing to the DTA's AI in government newsletter.

  • General inclusion

    Do’s 

    • Use common patterns for design components.
    • Use a linear, logical layout.
    • Write in plain English.
    • Display clear hints and error messages, with appropriate symbols, below text boxes.
    • Provide content in a variety of mediums to support different preferences.
    • Build in modern coding languages e.g. HTML 5 or later.
    • Ensure code scripts are readable by, and work with, support tools.
    • Test using keyboards for navigation and different browsers.
    • Reduce screen complexity by providing white space and content that is not cluttered.
    • Start with accessibility in mind and test regularly throughout the design process.

    Don’ts 

    • Limit or provide inconsistent touch tap areas.
    • Provide hint text in boxes that disappear when the box is clicked.
    • Use complex technical terms.
    • Quickly ‘time out’.
    • Force mouse or screen use.
    • Require excessive validation processes for online applications.
    • Make dynamic content that requires a lot of mouse movement.
    • Use decorative or cursive font styles.
    • Allow video or audio content to play automatically.
    Off
  • People who are blind or vision impaired

    Do’s

    • Use common patterns for design components.
    • Use a linear, logical layout.
    • Write in plain English.
    • Show clear hints and error messages below text boxes using simple words and icons.
    • Provide content in a variety of mediums to support different preferences.
    • Build in modern coding languages e.g. HTML 5 or later.
    • Ensure code scripts are readable by, and work with, support tools.
    • Test using keyboards for navigation and different browsers.
    • Reduce on screen complexity by providing white space and content that is not cluttered.
    • Include accessibility in the design as early as possible and test application of standards throughout.

    Don’ts

    • Limit or provide inconsistent touch tap areas.
    • Provide hint text in boxes that disappear when the box is clicked.
    • Use complex technical terms.
    • Quickly ‘time out’.
    • Force mouse or screen use.
    • Require excessive validation processes for online applications.
    • Make dynamic content that requires a lot of mouse movement.
    • Use decorative or cursive font styles.
    • Allow video or audio content to play automatically.
    Off
  • People who are cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD)

    Do’s 

    • Use clear headings and simple language. Provide definitions if needed.
    • Consider cultural context, like warnings for photos of deceased persons.
    • Use images and videos to simplify and explain information.
    • Provide guides and documents in a variety of languages.
    • Use certified translators for critical information.
    • Provide translations and custom help text on the same page.
    • Consider how service changes may impact users who rely on consistency.
    • Provide alternative contact methods, including interpreter services.
    • Provide user feedback when an action is completed correctly.
    • Provide translated error messages to support troubleshooting.

    Don’ts 

    • Use complex layouts, structures or menus.
    • Separate related information across different webpages.
    • Provide video or audio information, unless also accompanied by text.
    • Use complicated words, figures of speech or long blocks of text.
    • Rely on automatic translations. Check translated terms for accuracy.
    Off
  • People who are Deaf or hard of hearing

    Do’s

    • Ensure all videos have transcripts, captions and provide text descriptions for images.
    • Provide content in a variety of mediums to support different preferences.
    • Offer users options for how they interact with your service.
    • Make it easy to access support services.

    Don’ts 

    • Only show information in an image or video.
    • Spread content all over a page.
    • Rely on text size and placement for structure.
    • Force mouse or screen use.
    • Write uninformative links and headings – for example, Click here
    Off
  • People impacted by family and domestic violence

    Do’s 

    • Provide clear information on how safety concerns are reported and escalated.
    • Offer a simple ‘quick exit’ function.
    • Make it easy to restrict access from personal or shared accounts.
    • Offer choice about how and when to receive information.
    • Offer translation software that enables non-English speakers to access support.
    • Use empathy in the tone of communications.

    Don’ts

    • Make users re-explain sensitive circumstances across government services.
    • Send communications during hours where user action is unlikely to occur.
    • Make users complete processes in a single session.
    • Complicate validation steps for applications.
    Off
  • People with low digital literacy

    Do’s 

    • Allow users to start and stop processes across different communications channels.
    • Accompany key takeaways with clear calls to action.
    • Provide clear step by step instructions, to support key information and action points.
    • Use progress indicators to show task advancement.
    • Provide mobile responsive designs.
    • Make it easy to reset passwords and build on tasks.
    • Support older browsers and devices.
    • Group related content together to improve discoverability.
    • Use repeatable icons and visual cues to build user familiarity and confidence.
    • Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content.

    Don’ts 

    • Assume users have prior knowledge of digital tools.
    • Play videos and audio content automatically.
    • Use technical terminology.
    • Limit the time available to complete tasks.
    • Show error messages too quickly.
    Off
  • Neurodiverse people

    Do’s 

    • Respect user settings to remove motion.
    • Let users manage auto-refresh.
    • Consider animations carefully.
    • Use images such as icons and symbols with text.
    • Provide plenty of white space around information.
    • Carefully consider information display and order.
    • Use progressive reveal to reduce cognitive load.
    • Use clear affordance to help navigation.
    • Keep content short, clear and simple.
    • Let users change the contrast between background and text.

    Don’ts 

    • Rely on device/user movement.
    • Use strobing or rapid flashing effects.
    • Use all uppercase letters.
    • Use text that is both left and right justified on the same page.
    Off
  • People with physical disability

    Do’s

    • Design with ‘mobile first’ design patterns.
    • Test in both vertical and horizontal views.
    • Remove navigation that requires complex hand movement.
    • Ensure the touch tap area is the widest possible area and consistent across the site.

    Don’ts 

    • Create interactions that require precision.
    • Put multiple interactions together.
    • Have short time out windows or error messages that display too soon.
    • Tire users with lots of typing and scrolling.
    Off

  • General inclusion poster

  • Blind or vision impaired poster

  • CALD poster

  • Deaf or hard of hearing poster

  • Family and domestic violence poster

  • Low digital literacy poster

  • Neurodiverse poster

  • Physical disability

  • Note: Early stage proposals 

    Well-articulated benefits are critical in informing digital and ICT funding decisions. However, the DTA acknowledges that benefits articulation and management requires ongoing refinement throughout the life of an investment. As such, the DTA differentiates requirements for early and final-stage investments in the Digital Capability Assessment Process provided that the proposal:

    • only seeks partial funding predominantly to inform a future government submission (e.g. a first pass business case that is seeking to fund discovery work that will inform a second pass business case); and 
    • clearly articulates the intent to return with completed benefits management documentation as part of a subsequent submission to government. Specific investment proposal guidance is available at investment@dta.gov.au.

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