What is Team Downer?

Team Downer is one of four Major Service Providers (MSPs) to the Department of Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) – the defence organisation that is tasked with purchasing and managing Australia’s defence equipment and supplies. Team Downer provides above the line services to CASG.

The MSP model

The MSP model enables greater strategic engagement and management of ‘above the line’ services, providing greater visibility and control over market engagement and service delivery while freeing up CASG resources to focus on their core business. In the defence industry context, above the line services refers to working on behalf of the Commonwealth, as opposed to below the line services which refer to working for  the Commonwealth.

A key feature of the model is that it encourages healthy competition in the market, including fostering a viable and vibrant small to medium enterprise (SME) sector – allowing Australian SMEs to gain access to work in the Defence supply chain that they may not otherwise be able attain on their own.

Team Downer delivers the following services:

• Strategic Partner services including assisting the Commonwealth with workforce planning and management, industry and supply chain development and management, workforce development, and work package planning and development.
• Capability Partner services work primarily with CASG Centres of Excellence and provide an agreed annual level of effort in relation to pre-Gate Zero and immediately post-Gate Zero tasks. Gate Zero is a step in the Defence Capability Lifecycle.
• Integrated Work Package services deliver larger and more complex work for CASG Domains and Centres of Excellence.

Why the new model?

Since the turn of the 21st century, successive Australian Governments have recognised the importance of developing a strong national sovereign defence industrial capability, and the value of working in partnership with industry.

The 2018 Defence Industrial Capability Plan noted that Australia will need a sophisticated, large and capable defence industrial sector by 2028 to ‘…support the acquisition, operation and sustainment of future defence capability’, as well as to enable the services to carry out military operations, and to surge resources when required. The MSP model is an expression of this partnership with industry and supports this objective.

What it the benefit to Australian SMEs?

SME’s who register with Team Downer, and who are assessed as qualified, are able to access work opportunities in CASG due to Team Downer’s position as an approved MSP. These opportunities can be difficult for SMEs to access if they are not on the relevant Defence panel.

Engagement with Team Downer is free – there are no costs to register or to receive opportunities from us.

Team Downer member organisations: