The Contestable Connection Process

Step 1: Ausgrid review your connection application

• Our technical staff determine that your application requires network augmentations.
• We respond to a completed application within 10 business days. To assess your application, we may require further information.
• For larger connection projects and network relocations, applicants and their ASP's can view their project via Ausgrid's online Connection Projects Portal.
• Ausgrid will provide you with an invitation to access this portal to access your project/s details and progress.   

Step 2: A Contract for Design Related Services is prepared for you to view in the Ausgrid Portal 

You will receive an email inviting you to access your Ausgrid Connection Portal Account to view and accept the a Contract for Design Related Services and a statement of fees.
You will need to login to your account and go to the 'Offers' link in the portal to download the contract and to Accept or Decline the contract and the associated fees prepared by Ausgrid for your project.

If you are unsure about whether to accept or decline the contract, please discuss with Ausgrid before pressing 'Accept' or 'Decline' because you will not be able to change your selection within the online portal.

Step 3: We provide design information and you engage an accredited service provider (ASP/3)

We’ll provide you with any specific design information that your designer will need in addition to our design requirements: Design Information – General Terms and Conditions.  

By selecting the 'Project Team' link within the Ausgrid Connections Portal, you will need to nominate your ASP3 company from the approved list. Your ASP/3 company will then be able to view your project. 

Step 4: Your ASP designs the augmentation works

Your ASP/3 designs the augmentation works. The design must:

• meet all Ausgrid network standards and supply policies.
• meet any legal requirements.
• meet any relevant Australian Standards.
• be at the lowest cost to meet the connection requirements in the application.
• If the augmentation works are very large, on request, Ausgrid can help to determine feasible connection options. A fee applies for this planning and analysis work and the ASP/3 is still responsible for completing the design.

Your ASP/3 uploads the designs into the Ausgrid Connections Portal. Then applicant/customer will be able to view when these designs were uploaded. Only an Ausgrid authorised ASP/3 is able to upload drawings for certification checks. 

Step 5: We certify the design and send you a contract or offer

We audit the design to check whether it meets our technical and safety standards. Using the Connections Portal we certify the design; or, we notify the ASP/3 that the design doesn’t meet our technical and safety standards. The ASP/3 must resolve these non-conformances and resubmit the design via the Connections Portal. We repeat this process until we can certify the design. The applicant/customer can view all of these interactions.

We audit the design to check whether it meets our technical and safety standards. We have two design status. Ready For Tender (RFT) and Ready For Construction (RFC).

Ready For Tender (RFT)

This stage is achieved when the design, which includes all necessary drawings, specifications, schedules, and other relevant materials, has undergone a desktop audit to the reasonable satisfaction of Ausgrid. However, it has not been physically inspected on-site by all relevant stakeholders, including ASP Level 1 and Ausgrid representatives. This status indicates that the design documents may be used for the tender process, allowing contractors to prepare and submit their bids, and for the design documents to be used as the basis of the pre-construction meeting. The design will be updated with a watermark indicating it has been certified as Ready for Tender.

Ready For Construction (RFC)

This stage is achieved when the design has been validated via an on-site physical inspection by all relevant stakeholders, including the ASP Level 3 design team, ASP Level 1, contractors, and Ausgrid representatives, and all necessary design-related approvals and permits have been obtained. This status indicates Ausgrid consents to the design being used for construction once all pre-requisites required by the Connection Contract have been met. Once certified as Ready For Construction, a Ready for Construction number will be appended to the design title block.

Using the Connections Portal we certify the design as RFT or RFC; or, we notify the ASP/3 that the design doesn’t meet our technical and safety standards. The ASP/3 must resolve these non-conformances and resubmit the design via the Connections Portal. We repeat this process until we can certify the design. The applicant/customer can view all of these interactions.

Step 6: Application approval and contract offer

If you submitted a non-expedited application

We send you a connection offer, via the online Connections Portal, that suits the connection details you applied for. You have 45 business days to accept the offer or negotiate changes. The acceptance is to be made via the Connections Portal. If you accept the offer you can engage an ASP/1 to start building the augmentation works immediately.

If you submitted an expedited application

We accept your application when we certify the design. We’ll send you a copy of the connection contract for your records and a National Meter Identifier (NMI), if you need one. 
You can now engage an ASP/1 to start building the augmentation works immediately.

Building a certified design

Step 1: Engage an ASP/1 and start building the augmentation works

You can engage an ASP/1 to start building the augmentation works as soon as you have a design that has been certified as Ready For Tender (RFT) and a copy of the connection contract. You can find a list of Accredited Service Providers on the NSW Climate and Energy Action website.

You will need to nominate your ASP/1 company to your project via the 'Project Team' link in the Connections Portal. Once your ASP/1 has access to view your project, they will be able request any network outages and also nominate inspection dates and times. The applicant/customer will be able to view these interactions within the Ausgrid Connections Portal.

 Your ASP/1 may need to work in coordination with others:

• There are jobs that only Ausgrid can do for safety reasons (such as, work inside a zone substation).
• We may inspect the work during construction to ensure it meets all technical and safety standards.
• Your premises cannot be connected to the augmented network until a CCEW has been completed.

Step 2: Complete the augmentation works

On completing the augmentation work the ASP/2 submits a Notification of Service Work (NOSW) to Ausgrid within two business days. The NOSW is completed online via Ausgrid's Customer Portal. We will then inspect the work, and if all is okay energise the connection.

Related information