{
  "query": {
    "country": "AU",
    "what": "catering",
    "buyer_area": "Defence",
    "months": 24
  },
  "status": "ok",
  "price": {
    "currency": "AUD",
    "unit": "per contract (lot), total awarded value",
    "value": 24401,
    "measure": "median",
    "median": 24401,
    "typical_low": 11876,
    "typical_high": 52915,
    "min": 10214,
    "max": 420000
  },
  "sample_size": 14,
  "period": {
    "from": "2026-10-04",
    "to": "2026-10-24"
  },
  "confidence": "low",
  "price_type": "contract_price",
  "as_of": "2026-10-24T10:03:28.778Z",
  "source": {
    "id": "au-contracts",
    "name": "AusTender: Australian Government contract notices",
    "publisher": "Australian Government, Department of Finance (AusTender)",
    "licence": "Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU)",
    "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/",
    "attribution": "Source: Australian Government, Department of Finance, AusTender (api.tenders.gov.au), CC BY 3.0 AU. Figures are ProofPrice aggregates of the published contract notices.",
    "url": "https://www.tenders.gov.au/"
  },
  "method": "Australian Government contract notices published between 2026-10-04 and 2026-10-24 (the newest 21 days, up to 3 pages of 100 per day), found by UNSPSC code 901016 or the words \"catering\" in the contract title or description and an agency name containing \"Defence\". One contract per CN number (the newest amendment). Median and 10th–90th percentile of the agreed contract values in AUD; never supplier or staff names. Totals per contract, not unit prices.",
  "method_url": "https://proofprice.com/method",
  "summary": "Public buyers in Australia (federal agencies matching \"Defence\") awarded catering services contracts with a median total value of A$24,401 per contract (typical range A$11,876 to A$52,915, 10th to 90th percentile). These are totals per contract (lot), not unit prices. Based on 14 records from Australian Government, Department of Finance (AusTender) (2026-10-04 to 2026-10-24). Confidence: low. Newest award used: 2026-10-20. Each value is the agreed amount over the whole contract (median term 13 months), not a yearly or unit price; amounts under 100 dollars are left out. Busy days were read only up to 300 notices, so this is a sample of the 21-day window. Only the newest 21 days of notices are read, whatever months says.",
  "notice": "Information, not a valuation or offer. Ranges describe past recorded prices.",
  "extra": {
    "value_basis": "total awarded value per contract (lot), not a unit price",
    "newest_award_used": "2026-10-20",
    "matched_filter": "UNSPSC code 901016 or the words \"catering\" in the contract title or description",
    "notices_read": 2593,
    "contracts_matched": 14,
    "days_read": 21,
    "median_term_months": 13
  },
  "answer_id": "ans_3f379cf7f98a5b35e7b2",
  "method_version": "1",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-10-24T10:03:28.778Z",
  "evidence": {
    "type": "contract_price",
    "label": "Contract award value",
    "meaning": "The value of a contract awarded under public procurement rules: it shows what a buyer agreed to pay for that contract, not a price list for the same goods or services."
  },
  "reliability": "thin",
  "data_as_of": "2026-10-24",
  "data_age_days": 0,
  "suggestions": [
    "Few records stand behind this range: widen the period or the area for a steadier figure.",
    "Treat it as a rough guide and ask for an itemised quote before deciding."
  ]
}