The Australian government is considering ‘next steps’ for procuring a National Solar Panel Recycling Pilot’ administrator, after cancelling its search the day an ongoing six month suspension was also lifted.

Undisclosed “changes to the industry” since the release of the government’s tender in April 2026, are cited as the catalyst for the decision on 10 November to cancel the procurement without the award of a contract.

Initially suspended in May 2026 due to a procurement complaint and consequent investigation, the original tender proposed that a contract for an NSPRP administrator would have begun by May 2026 and run until June 2027, with the possibility of extension.

The complaint centred on the settings and rules of the procurement process for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), but details are not public.

The AUD 24.7 million ($16.9 million) pilot procurement sought to engage a supplier to arrange, manage, deliver and report to the government on an NSPRP.

It would be tasked with arranging the collection of up to 250,000 decommissioned panels from around 100 sites across Australia and ensure panels are safely aggregated, transported and recycled.

The government estimates 3 million panels reached end-of-life in 2025, and could grow to 50 million panels by 2035.

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