Question:
1. Do you need all six dogs at once?

2. How long before you need to view the potential dogs?

Answered on 12/Jun/2026 01:10 PM:


1. As per section 3 of the Request for Quote document, two (2) dogs are required for an initial supply upon commencement of Contract, with further supply of dogs (up to a total of 6) during the Contract Term.

2. As per Item 5 of Schedule 1 of the Contract Details document, to meet the requirements of Milestone 1, including demonstration that candidate dogs meet basic temperament, behavioural and obedience requirements, this should occur within four weeks of identifying the candidate dog.

Question:
1. Health Screening Requirements

Can the Department clarify whether the health screening requirements for breeds prone to hereditary conditions require orthopaedic screening of the candidate dog itself, or whether documented screening results from the sire and dam genetic lines, together with veterinary certification of the candidate dog, will satisfy this requirement?

2. Transition to Handler and Support Services

Can the Department clarify whether the activities described in Schedule 1, Clause 4.3 (Transition to Handler), including mentoring, weekly communication, field support and handler development, are intended to be included within the fixed dog price, or may be charged under the "Handler Support and Training" schedule item in Schedule 2?

3. Validation Failure and Replacement Process

Can the Department clarify the process to be followed where a candidate dog does not successfully complete Validation (Milestone 4), including whether the Supplier is required to provide a replacement dog and how milestone payments are treated in these circumstances?

Answered on 19/Jun/2026 03:00 PM:
(edited on 22/Jun/2026 01:49 PM)


1. Individual candidate dogs will need to satisfy the requirements of 4.1(f) of Schedule 1. Where the individual candidate dog is of a breed prone to hereditary conditions, orthopaedic screening will be required to demonstrate conformance.

2. The Transition to Handler activities described in Item 4.3 of Schedule 1 can be included in the 'Hander Support and Training' item in Schedule 2.

3. In principle, the Department would require the Supplier to provide a replacement dog, if the Supplier had one available that met the contract criteria. The contract is base don full payment for a successfully validated dog, although suppliers may propose alternative payment profiles.