Procurement approvals: routing, quote thresholds and records

Whose rules apply

The Commonwealth Procurement Rules (version 17 November 2025) contain "rules for all procurements" plus "additional rules for procurements at or above the relevant procurement threshold". The threshold figures are published by the Department of Finance. Check them there, not here.

State agencies and councils work under their own legislation, procurement policy and financial delegations. US agencies and local governments have federal, state and local purchasing rules. In every case the practical inputs are the same, and they all come from your own documents:

• the delegation schedule (who can approve what, up to which value);
• the quote or tender requirement at each value band;
• any mandatory panels, standing offers or exemptions;
• what must be recorded, and where.

Approval routing

A purchase request usually arrives as an email or form with a description, estimated value, cost centre and attached quotes. An AI worker can read it, work out from your delegation schedule which delegate must approve, and send the request to that person in Teams or by email with a short summary. It tracks the request until it is approved, rejected or returned for more information. If the delegate is away, it follows your rules for who acts in their place.

It can also tell requesters where their request is, and remind delegates when a request has waited longer than your target.

Checking quotes against your thresholds

Given your policy, the AI can check whether a request has the number of quotes required for its value. It can also check whether the quotes describe the same scope, and whether the recommended supplier is the lowest or, if not, whether a reason is recorded. Where a request seems split into smaller purchases that each fall under a threshold, it can flag the pattern for a person to look at.

The Everything's published capabilities include sending requests for quotes and comparing the quotes that come back. They were built for businesses tendering out work. An agency would set its own rules and approve any request for quotes before it is sent.

Record keeping

Procurement decisions need a clear record: the request, the quotes, the evaluation, the approval, and who made it and when. The AI can assemble that record in a SharePoint folder or list as the request progresses, so nothing depends on searching inboxes later. For Commonwealth entities, the Archives Act 1983 makes the National Archives responsible for identifying the Commonwealth's archival resources. Councils and state agencies have their own records rules. Make sure the procurement record lands in your record-keeping system.

What stays with a person

• The approval to spend, by the delegate named in your schedule.
• Choice of supplier and the value-for-money judgement.
• Exemptions from policy, direct sourcing decisions and conflicts of interest.
• Contract terms and any negotiation.

Approvals that end up on a minister's desk follow the pattern on the ministerial correspondence page. Before using AI on supplier information, see what to check before you start.

Questions people ask