Capacity Investment Scheme NEM Dispatchable

At a glance

Tender status: registrations closed and bid submissions are open.

Tender target: 4 GW of 4-hour equivalent, or 16 GWh, of dispatchable capacity in the NEM.

Overview

CIS Tender 10 is seeking an indicative target of 4 GW of 4-hour equivalent, or 16 GWh, of dispatchable capacity across the NEM.

Tender 10 is likely to be the final NEM dispatchable capacity tender under the CIS, provided all relevant dispatchable capacity targets are met in this Tender 10 Process.

Registrations closed on 4 August 2026. Registration is essential for Proponents to be able to submit a Bid in this Tender. Bid submissions will close on 18 August 2026.

Preparing your bid

Key documents can be found in the Tender Documents tab. These include:

• The Tender Guidelines which contain all relevant information on the process and criteria for this tender, to support proponents in preparing and submitting a bid.
• The Proforma Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement (CISA).
• A version of the Proforma CISA to accommodate Aggregated Projects.

Q&A process for proponents

A Q&A process is open and will be administered through the Online Portal. Registered proponents are able to submit questions, and a copy of Q&A responses is available on the CIS Tender 10 Q&A tab. The Q&A process will close on 11 August 2026.

First Nations Set Aside

First Nations revenue and equity sharing in large-scale clean energy projects has the potential to deliver First Nations Communities greater and lasting economic and social benefits from Australia’s clean energy transition.

The First Nations Set Aside is designed to encourage Proponents to submit commitments in their Bids that include 5% or higher First Nations equity and/or revenue sharing arrangements.

CIS Tender 10 is the second tender to include a First Nations Set Aside.

The First Nations Set Aside is a dedicated 0.5 GW of 4-hour equivalent, or 2.0 GWh, allocation.

The First Nations Set Aside for CIS Tender 10 will be subject to the assessed merit of those Projects that elect to participate in the First Nations Set Aside in the Bid Form.

Projects awarded CISAs in respect of the First Nations Set Aside in this Tender Process will contribute towards the total Tender 10 capacity target of 4 GW (16 GWh). Please read the Tender Guidelines for more details.

Participation in the First Nations Set Aside is optional. Projects that do not elect to participate, or do not satisfy the qualification requirements, will not be eligible for the First Nations Set Aside. Such Projects will still be merit assessed, provided Projects satisfy the Eligibility Criteria.

Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement allocations

CIS Tender 10 does not include any specific capacity targets based on jurisdiction.

Important Information

Notice of update to Bid Form (3 August 2026)

For registrations submitted before 3 August 2026, an update has been made to the ‘Project Details’ section of the existing CIS T10 Bid Form in the Online Portal in relation to the section regarding the Project’s Registered Capacity. Proponents are now required to enter the Project’s Registered Capacity in the Bid Form where indicated. This is a mandatory field which must be completed in order for the Bid Form to be submitted. Proponents should review the Project Details section of the Bid Form in the Online Portal and ensure this response is provided as part of the Bid submission.

This update does not change the requirements in the Tender Guidelines, the assessment approach, or the inputs required for the MC1 Returnable Schedule, and the submission deadline remains unchanged.

For registrations submitted on or after 3 August 2026, this field is already included in the Bid Form. No further action is required beyond completing the form as usual.

About AEMO and ASL’s Role

AEMO and ASL have been engaged to support the roll-out of the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), bringing together expertise in energy markets, modelling and infrastructure finance and procurement.

ASL administers the competitive tender process and makes recommendations to the Australian Government on which projects should be awarded CISAs. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy is the ultimate decision maker on which projects are successful.