Skills Assure Supplier contracting

Queensland is developing a new Skills Assure Supplier (SAS) framework through the Queensland Skills Strategy to better target and maximise outcomes from government's significant investment in training.

The new SAS framework is now open through a new expression of interest (EOI) process, which opened on Monday, 30 September 2024 for registered training organisations (RTOs) interested in working with us to achieve the objectives of Queensland's publicly funded training.

Eligible RTOs are invited to express their interest in delivering training under 2 new subsidy programs, starting 1 July 2025:

• Career Start – guaranteed access to individuals to gain their first certificate III qualification, facilitating entry to employment, including apprenticeships and traineeships.
• Career Boost – providing lifelong learning opportunities for working-age Queenslanders to update or develop their skills and knowledge, including funding for certificate IV and above qualifications and priority skill sets.

EOIs for a new Career Ready VET in Schools program will open at a later stage, with delivery of training to be phased in from the start of the 2026 school year.

Learn more about the new SAS framework, including what is changing and what will stay the same.

EOI process

RTOs must express their interest to deliver training under the new SAS framework, including public providers and current SAS. The EOI will be a 2-stage process:

• Stage 1: Mandatory eligibility
  • Opens for 6 weeks from Monday, 30 September 2024 and closes 5pm (AEST, Queensland time) Friday, 8 November 2024.
  • RTOs must meet these requirements to progress to stage 2.
• Stage 2: Formal assessment against criteria
  • Responses to this stage will be assessed by an independent panel.

Outcomes advice will be issued in writing after both stages.

Submitting EOI responses

EOI responses must be submitted through the Purchasing Online (POL) application in Partner Portal. Read how to use the POL application to submit an EOI stage 1 response.

Current SAS with an existing Partner Portal account

• Your organisation should have access to POL.
• Your organisation's Partner Portal Administrator will be able to add additional users to use POL if required.
• Email PartnerPortal@desbt.qld.gov.au if you have any issues.

RTOs (not currently a SAS) with an existing Partner Portal account

• Check with your organisation's Partner Portal Administrator if your organisation has access to POL.
• As specified in the EOI Stage 1 Application Guidelines, applications for POL closed 25 October 2024.
• Email PartnerPortal@desbt.qld.gov.au if you have any issues.

RTOs without a Partner Portal account

• As specified in the EOI Application Guidelines, applications for Partner Portal accounts and POL closed 25 October 2024.

EOI stages

Stage 1: Mandatory eligibility

To be eligible, RTOs must have:

• current RTO registration with the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) or the relevant jurisdictional regulator, held for at least the last 2 years
• relevant scope of registration with ASQA and/or relevant jurisdictional regulator for the qualifications you would like to deliver – these qualifications will be listed in the online form and will be the basis of the new Queensland Subsidised Training List
• 12 months delivery history in the qualifications or industry area you are applying for
• sufficient delivery history to Queensland students
• RTO place of business in Queensland
• compliance history
• employer referees (these cannot be from labour hire companies or schools).

Last updated 30 October 2024