Electronic Submission

Electronic Submission Guide – Lodging tenders through Tenders ACT

This guide explains how to prepare, upload, and lodge an electronic tender response through Tenders ACT. Following these steps will help ensure your submission is received on time and in full.

Before you begin, be aware of file name requirements

To ensure your documents upload correctly, your files must:

• use only letters (A–Z, a–z), numbers (0–9) and full stops (.)
• not include any special characters - \ / : ; * ? " < > | ~ ! $ % & ' { }
• be under 80 characters in file name
• be uploaded from a high-level folder (e.g. Desktop) so the full file path is under 100 characters
• be in Microsoft Office readable formats or PDF.

Note: these rules apply to files inside zip folders as well.

Uploading your files

To ensure smooth uploading:

• the maximum total upload size is 200 MB per submission
• up to 15 files can be uploaded
• large groups of files may take time to upload, which is why we recommend submitting your response at least 24 hours prior to closing, but no less than two hours prior. You can also consider uploading in batches or zipping
• upload times vary depending on your internet connection
• begin uploading well before the tender closing time
• ensure all required files are included.

Note: missing documents submitted after closing can generally not be considered as part of your response.

Indicative upload times (based on typical Australian upload speeds)

Upload times depend on the speed and stability of your internet connection. Actual speeds are often slower during peak usage periods.

Typical Australian upload speeds and times

• 5 Mbps – older NBN or congested mobile
• 10 Mbps – common residential plans
• 20 Mbps – business-grade NBN
• 40 Mbps – highspeed NBN or strong 5G
• 80 Mbps – premium business or enterprise fibre

File Size / Upload Speed	5 Mbps	10 Mbps	20 Mbps	40 Mbps	80 Mbps
10 MB	~ 17 sec	~ 8 sec	~ 4 sec	~ 2 sec	~ 1 sec
50 MB	~ 1.4 min	~ 42 sec	~ 21 sec	~ 10 sec	~ 5 sec
100 MB	~ 2.8 min	~ 1.4 min	~ 42 sec	~ 21 sec	~ 10 sec
200 MB	~ 5.6 min	~ 2.8 min	~ 1.4 min	~ 42 sec	~ 21 sec
300 MB	~ 8.4 min	~ 4.2 min	~ 2.1 min	~ 63 sec	~ 31 sec

Submitting your tender response

To avoid late or incomplete submissions:

• start uploading at least two hours before the tender closing time
• log in to Tenders ACT, open the relevant RFx, and select “Submit Electronic Response”
• follow the prompts to upload your files.

How to confirm you’ve successfully submitted your response

Your submission is complete only when an onscreen receipt displays the date and time received and a confirmation email is sent to your registered address. You must review the receipt to ensure all intended files were successfully uploaded. This receipt is your official proof of lodgement. If you missed any intended files as part of your tender response, you can submit additional responses, provided the tender has not closed yet.

What to do if you experience upload issues

If you experience difficulty uploading or finalising your submission, try the following steps.

1. Check your internet connection:

• Upload requires a stable connection.
• Reduce or pause other high bandwidth activity on your network.

2. Refresh or reopen the page:

• The submission page may have timed out.
• Save your work elsewhere, then refresh the page or reopen the browser tab.

3. Check your login session:

• Ensure you are logged in through one browser and one tab only.
• Multiple open sessions can interrupt the upload process.

4. Clear your cache and cookies:

• cached data can prevent pages from loading correctly.
• clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then log in again.

5. Try another browser:

• if issues persist, switch to a different browser such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari.

6. Confirm file sizes and file name requirements:

• Check that all file names meet the rules listed above.
• Compress or split large files if needed.

7. Try another device:

• If possible, attempt the upload from another computer or device.

e-Learning

For more information, please also refer to our ACT Government Supplier Training e-Learning modules:

1. Getting started with Tenders ACT - Overview
2. Finding and Submitting Tenders on Tenders ACT - Overview

Where to go for help

If you are still experiencing an issue during upload or lodgement, after following the above steps, Contact the Procurement ACT Service Desk. Do not email your tender response through, emailed submissions cannot be accepted. If you have experienced a technical error or any other difficulties with submitting a tender response, please contact us on the details below, noting that we have limited ability to resolve last minute queries before tender closing time.

Phone: +61 2 6207 9000 (option 7) | Email: TendersACT@act.gov.au | Hours: 9:00am to 4:30pm (ACT local time), Monday to Friday (excluding ACT and national public holidays)