How ChatGPT and Claude can help you win more government contracts

ChatGPT and Claude aren't just chatbots — they're powerful research and analysis tools that can transform how you find, evaluate, and respond to government tenders. With AskTender integrated into both platforms, you get direct access to every Australian government tender combined with the analytical power of the world's most capable AI.

Here's a practical guide to using these tools at every stage of the tender lifecycle.

Stage 1: Finding relevant opportunities

The most obvious use case is tender discovery. With AskTender connected to ChatGPT or Claude, you can search across every Australian government tender portal using natural language.

Example prompts for discovery:

• "Show me open IT tenders from the federal government worth over $500,000"
• "Find cleaning contracts in NSW and Victoria closing in the next month"
• "What construction tenders have been published in Queensland this week?"
• "Are there any defence tenders for cybersecurity services?"

The AI understands context and intent, so you don't need to know UNSPSC codes or navigate multiple portals. It searches across AusTender, buy.nsw, Buying for Victoria, QTenders, and every other state portal simultaneously.

Stage 2: Evaluating opportunities

Once you've found interesting tenders, AI helps you decide which ones to pursue. Upload the tender documentation and ask for a rapid assessment:

Example prompts for evaluation:

• "Summarise this tender in 300 words — what do they want, when is it due, and what are the evaluation criteria?"
• "Based on this tender specification, what capabilities would a supplier need to score well?"
• "What's the estimated contract value and duration?"
• "Are there any unusual terms or risks I should be aware of?"

This rapid triage lets you assess five or six opportunities in the time it would normally take to evaluate one. For more on AI document analysis, see our article on the benefits of AI for reviewing tender documents.

Stage 3: Competitive research

Before committing to a bid, understanding your competitive position is crucial. AI can help with research that would otherwise take hours:

Example prompts for research:

• "Search AusTender for contracts awarded to [this agency] in the last two years for similar services. What were the typical values?"
• "What companies have won IT contracts from the Department of Finance recently?"
• "What's the typical response window for tenders from this agency?"

Understanding who you're competing against, what agencies have paid for similar services, and how many responses a typical tender receives helps you make better bid/no-bid decisions and price your response more competitively.

Stage 4: Structuring your response

AI is an excellent outlining tool. Once you understand the tender requirements, ask the AI to help structure your response:

Example prompts for structuring:

• "Based on the evaluation criteria in this tender, outline a response structure with section headings and suggested content for each section"
• "The tender weights technical methodology at 40%. What key topics should I cover in that section?"
• "Create a compliance checklist from this tender document — list every mandatory requirement I need to address"

The resulting structure becomes your response blueprint. It ensures you address every criterion and allocate effort proportionally to the weightings — one of the most important strategies for writing winning tender responses.

Stage 5: Drafting and reviewing

AI can assist with drafting specific sections of your response, but it works best as a review and improvement tool rather than a primary author. Government evaluators can detect generic AI-generated content, and your response should reflect genuine knowledge of your business and the specific opportunity.

Example prompts for review:

• "Review my draft response for the 'relevant experience' criterion. Does it clearly demonstrate the four requirements listed in the tender?"
• "Check this response section for any claims that aren't supported by specific evidence"
• "Compare my draft compliance matrix against the tender requirements — am I missing anything?"
• "Improve the clarity and conciseness of this executive summary while keeping the key messages"

This review process mimics what a senior bid manager would do, catching gaps, unsupported claims, and compliance issues before submission.

Stage 6: Final quality check

Before submission, use AI for a final quality check:

Example prompts for quality assurance:

• "Cross-reference my price breakdown against my methodology — are the staffing numbers consistent?"
• "Check this response for Australian English spelling and grammar issues"
• "Does my response address every evaluation criterion listed in the tender? List any gaps"

This pre-submission check is like having an extra pair of eyes on your bid — and it takes minutes, not hours.

Getting started

Setting up is straightforward:

1. For ChatGPT: Visit our ChatGPT setup guide and add the AskTender action. It takes about five minutes.
2. For Claude: Visit our Claude setup guide and connect AskTender. Similarly quick.

Once connected, start with a simple search query to see what's available in your industry and state. From there, explore how the AI can help with each stage of your existing tender process.

The businesses winning the most government contracts in 2026 aren't necessarily bigger, cheaper, or more experienced than their competitors. They're the ones using every available tool — including AI — to find better opportunities, prepare more thoroughly, and submit stronger responses. AskTender with ChatGPT and Claude makes that practical for businesses of every size.