July 2026 newsletter

Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition is Australia’s premier international land defence event, bringing together defence, industry and government representatives from Australia and around the world. The exposition will be held in Perth from 6-8 October 2026.  The NT delegation, organised by DefenceNT, will promote the Territory’s capability and build partnerships to access national and international markets.

Jimmy Kiploks, General Manager, Defence, Security and Resilience  will also be presenting at the Land Forces 2026 Hub on Wednesday 7 October.

Jimmy’s presentation will explore the Northern Territory Defence Strategy and the Territory’s growing role in enabling Defence operations through northern basing, maritime sustainment, logistics, infrastructure investment and sovereign industry capability.

The session will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges of operating in Northern Australia and the Territory’s increasing contribution to Australia’s defence capability.

To register for the event, go to the Land Forces website.

Northern Australia is central to Australia's defence and national security. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) is seeking to broaden the range of voices contributing to North of 26 Degrees South, a dedicated series in The Strategist exploring Northern Australia's role in Australia's defence, national security and economic resilience.

Reaching over 5 million readers annually, The Strategist is one of Australia's leading publications for defence and strategic policy analysis.

Whether you work in industry, government, academia or civil society, this is an opportunity to share your expertise with a national audience and contribute to Australia's strategic policy debate. You don't need to be an experienced writer; articles are typically around 800 words.

First-time authors are encouraged and ASPI's editorial team will work with you throughout the writing process.

Not sure where to start? Browse previous articles in the North of 26 Degrees South series to see what we've covered and where your perspective could add something new.

We welcome pitches on topics including defence and capability, infrastructure and logistics, defence industry and workforce, resilience, regional engagement, emerging technologies and other issues shaping Northern Australia's role in Australia's national security.

To get started, submit a 200-300-word pitch via our online submissions form.

Message from ODIS

The Defence Industry Development Grants (DIDG) Program has been extended to 2030, with an additional $80 million investment, bringing total funding to approximately $250 million.

Announced as part of the 2026 Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS26), the extension is accompanied by updated Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs), which will guide future grant funding for eligible Australian businesses.

The DIDG program will continue to operate under the current Grant Opportunity Guidelines and the 2024 SDIPs while updated guidelines are being finalised. During this period, there will be no changes to grant streams, funding values, assessment criteria or processing timeframes.

For enquiries, email industry.grants@defence.gov.au.

The Excellence in Building & Construction (EBC) Awards are the Northern Territory's premier construction awards, recognising excellence across the building and construction industry.

Celebrating its 30th year in 2026, the awards winners will be announced at the EBC awards dinner on 15 August 2026.

In recognition of the importance of strengthening local industry capability and supporting the defence construction sector, DefenceNT is proud to be a silver sponsor of the 2026 EBC Awards.

Buy tickets for the Master Builders NT EBC 2026 Awards Gala Dinner.

The Darwin Innovation Hub is on the hunt this September for ground-breaking pitches that can bring significant benefits to the Territory.

Defence businesses with innovative technologies and solutions for Northern Australia are encouraged to enter Croc Pitch Northern Australia 2026. Defence is among the priority sectors for this premier pitch competition, with participants competing for up to $1 million in venture capital investment.

Hosted by the Darwin Innovation Hub, Croc Pitch connects innovators with investors, industry leaders and potential partners through a hybrid pitch format.

To register or find out more information about Croc Pitch Northern Australia, go to the Darwin Innovation Hub website.

This section showcases upcoming Defence-focused events and seminars delivered by industry associations, media and partner organisations. It is intended to support business engagement and knowledge sharing across the defence sector. Readers are encouraged to follow the links provided for full event details, registration information and updates.

Industry Capability Network (ICN): ICN upcoming events

Master Builders Northern Territory (MBNT): MBNT events

Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce (Chamber NT): NT Chamber events

Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN): NTIBN events

AMDA Foundation Limited: AMDA Foundation Limited events

Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN): AIDN events

Consult Australia: Consult Australia events

Charles Darwin University: CDU events

Engineers Australia: Events

Defence Estate Capital and Sustainment Works Program

The Department of Defence's Security and Estate Group invites Industry to attend the Defence Estate Capital and Sustainment Works Program Industry Briefing. The purpose is to provide Industry with an update on Defence estate matters, including planned upcoming procurement opportunities across capital facilities and infrastructure projects.

For more information about the DECS Works Program, go to the AusTender website.

War stores may be safe at Bandiana, but they have to get north

Strategic infrastructure investment means focusing on endurance, not efficiency

Northern resilience shapes national resilience. Building it demands continuity

Measuring preparedness, resilience and redundancy in a time of strategic pressure

Defence test and evaluation training partner—standing offer

The Department of Defence – DSRG is seeking submissions to select a test and training partner for test and evaluation. The purpose of the training partner standing offer for services is to provide the Commonwealth, as represented by the Department of Defence and permitted agencies with the ability to provide training and related support services regarding the testing and evaluation of Defence capabilities.

Closing date: 7 August 2026

For more information on the defence test and evaluation training partner—standing offer, go to the AusTender website.

AusTender

Free to use and where you can find Australian Government opportunities, annual procurement plans and contracts award announcements.

For more information, go to the AusTender website.

BenchOn

Where you can access opportunities with government agencies and Primes through BenchOn Industry Portals.

To find out more, go to the BenchOn website.

Gateway by ICN

Where you can find Australia and New Zealand’s largest network of suppliers and projects.

For more information, go to the Gateway by ICN website.

SAM.gov

The official US government system for contracting opportunities and contract award reports.

To learn more, go to the SAM.gov website.

The grants and programs finder is the Australian Government’s central website for all grant and funding products available throughout Australia.

To find out more, go to the Australian Government's Business website.

Defence industry grants

Defence provides a range of grants to support industry. These grants assist Australian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in expanding to meet Defence capability needs and join global Defence industry supply chains.

For current information on available grant programs, go to the Defence website.

Industry Growth Program offers

The program provides an advisory service for start-ups and SMEs undertaking innovative commercialisation and/or growth projects that are within the priority areas of the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund and help build Australia’s manufacturing capability for the future.

For more information, go to the Industry Growth Program website.

Australian Submarine Agency

Over the next 30 years, the Australian Government will invest $30 billion into Australia’s Industrial Base for industry, infrastructure and workforce development in support of AUKUS.

For more information on grants and funding, go to the Australian Submarine Agency website.