Overview
Housing Australia is commencing a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to expand the lender panels for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme and Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme. This will increase choice and accessibility for home buyers across Australia as successful lenders are appointed to participate in each Scheme.
Housing Australia administers both Schemes on behalf of the Australian Government. The 5% Deposit Scheme and the Help to Buy Scheme are separate Schemes, and the Panels are managed and administered by Housing Australia as separate arrangements.
About the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme
The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme enables eligible first home buyers to purchase a home with a deposit as low as 5%, and single parents or legal guardians with a deposit as low as 2%, without the need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance. This helps buyers enter the market sooner, without the delay of saving a 20% deposit.
Since commencement in 2020, the Scheme has helped more than 258,000 Australians purchase or build a home.
Delivery of the 5% Deposit Scheme is supported by a panel of Participating Lenders, currently comprising 3 major bank lenders and 28 non-major lenders.
Find out more about the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
About the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme
The Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme is a new government initiative aimed at improving access to home ownership for eligible Australians. It is designed to assist individuals who have made reasonable savings toward purchasing a home but together with their home loan require additional support to become a home owner.
The Scheme will be available to both first-time buyers and those re-entering the housing market. Through shared equity arrangements, Help to Buy will enable participants to secure a suitable home with reduced upfront costs.
Up to 10,000 places will be made available annually over 4 years, supporting thousands of Australians in achieving home ownership and contributing to broader housing affordability objectives.
Housing Australia will be launching Help to Buy soon and aims to appoint the full lender panel through the current Request for Proposal (RFP) process. This panel of dedicated lenders will be separate to the panel for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
Find out more about the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme.
Evaluation criteria
Please note the below information is a summary. More information is available in the RFP documentation, available upon request.
Evaluation criteria for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme include:
- Customer care, including hardship
- Product competitiveness, including fees and interest rates
- Operational process including risk management
- Reputation
- Ability to promote market competition in lending and related markets
- Potential to minimise calls on the Housing Australia Guarantee
- Legal and contractual compliance.
- Capacity and readiness to implement and promote the 5% Deposit Scheme on and from March 2026
Evaluation criteria for the Australian Governent Help to Buy Scheme include:
- Customer care, including hardship
- Product competitiveness, including fees and interest rates
- Operational process including risk management
- Reputation
- Ability to promote market competition in lending and related markets
- Capacity to work with Housing Australia over the life of the arrangements and Help to Buy Scheme
- Legal and contractual compliance
- Capacity and readiness to implement and promote the Help to Buy Scheme between March and June 2026.
Key dates
| Monday 10 November 2025 | RFP documentation is available to respondents on request |
| Wednesday 12 November 2025 - 5.00pm AEDT | Deadline for registration to attend industry briefing |
| Thursday, 13 November 2025 - 2.00pm AEDT | Industry briefing (registration and RSVP essential) |
| Friday 21 November 2025 - 5.00pm AEDT | Deadline for submission of questions from respondents |
| Friday 28 November 2025 - 5.00 pm AEDT | Deadline for lender response to RFP |
| From Monday 1 December 2025 onwards | The Evaluation Committee will review and consider RFP submissions |
| January 2026 | Housing Australia will make offers to successful respondents for the 5% Deposit Scheme and the Help to Buy Scheme |
| From March 2026 | New lenders commence on the 5% Deposit Scheme Panel in tranches |
| March 2026 to June 2026 | New lenders commence on the Help to Buy Scheme Panel |
Note: The timetable above outlines the key steps in the RFP process. Dates and times (except for the deadline for questions and the closing time for responses) are indicative only and may change at Housing Australia’s discretion.
Industry briefing
A virtual industry briefing will be held at 2:00pm AEDT on Thursday 13 November 2025. Attendance is optional, however, eligible and interested lenders are encouraged to participate as the session will provide valuable insights into the RFP process, participation requirements, and key timelines.
Representatives should be authorised by their organisation and from a relevant business unit - such as residential mortgage lending, home loan finance, or consumer lending procurement.
Registrations are essential.
Please email housingaustraliapanel@housingaustralia.gov.au with full contact details for each attendee, including name, email address, and phone number, by 5:00 pm AEDT on Wednesday 12 November 2025, to receive a registration link.
RFP documentation
RFP documentation is available upon request. To request the documentation, email housingaustraliapanel@housingaustralia.gov.au with full contact details for the relevant contact officer/s, including name, email, and phone number.
Please indicate whether your organisation is applying to join the lender panel for:
- the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme
- the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme
- both Schemes.
Registered contact officers will receive notifications from Housing Australia throughout the RFP process. Representatives should be authorised by their organisation and belong to a relevant business unit - such as residential mortgage lending, home loan finance, or consumer lending procurement.
On receipt of a registration of interest and request for documentation from a potential respondent, Housing Australia will email the RFP document within one business day to the nominated contact officer/s.
All written liaison with Housing Australia should be completed via email at Housingaustraliapanel@housingaustralia.gov.au
Support for applicants
FAQ's
Please visit our dedicated FAQ's page for more information.
Email us
To register your interest and request the RFP documentation, please email: