Standing Offer Notice (SON)

A standing offer sets the terms, and often the rates, under which one or more suppliers will provide goods or services over a period, without the government committing to a quantity up front. Agencies then place orders or run mini competitions among the suppliers on it. Standing offers are published on AusTender as standing offer notices. Getting onto one is a procurement in its own right and is often the single highest leverage thing a supplier can do, because it converts you from ineligible to eligible for everything competed under that arrangement.