Charging Policy

Charge Activation

Charges apply when a project is formally established, and data access granted.

A project is established when: 

• At least one analyst is onboarded
• At least one data approval recieved

This approach is similar to a subscription model, where billing begins when the service becomes available, even if all datasets are not yet fully delivered and not all researchers are onboarded and ready for access. 

The rationale is that from the point of activation, resources are allocated, systems are engaged, and support is provided to enable access and use of the available data. This ensures timely delivery and allows users to begin working with what’s ready, while remaining aligned with the broader project timeline.  

Note: Researchers must indicate if they would prefer to delay the establishment of their project until all data or all researchers are ready. 

Price Changes

DataLab prices are reviewed annually. Communications will be sent out to project editors and project leads based on communication preferences. Please ensure project contacts are up to date in myDATA.  

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Prices advertised exclude GST. GST will be applied to charges unless the organisation is exempt. 

Tier Changes

If a project increases its number of users during the year and moves to a higher pricing tier, a catch-up charge will be issued in the quarter additional user access is granted and tier change has occurred, following the initial annual charge.  

If a project reduces their Tier during the year, there is no pro-rata refund for the decrease in tier.  

The quarterly charge shown in the table below does not apply to projects that are looking to have half-year projects (e.g. start Q1, closure in Q2) as projects must be paid on an annual basis. The quarterly split is only to assist in calculating catch up charges during tier increases. 

An example of tier change charges is highlighted below using 2025-26 DataLab Prices.  Please check the Charges for up-to-date prices. 

• Project is a Tier 1 project at the start of the financial year and has been charged $5,500 for the full FY in July and the invoice is paid.
• In September (Q2) the project increases the users from 5 to 7, this means that the project is a tier 2 project from Q2. The new charge will be a combination of charges - at Q1, on Tier 1 charge and Q2, Q3, & Q4 on the Tier 2 charge; bringing the total charge for the year to $11,275.
• In this case the catch-up/ tier increase charge of $5,775 will be issued (This is $11,275 less the initial annual charge of $5,500 - assuming the initial charge is fully paid).
• If a project reduces their Tier during the year, there is no pro rata refund for the decrease in tier.
• If the initial $5,500 is not paid, a new charge of $11,275 will be issued overwriting the initial quote. 

Existing/Active Projects

DataLab standard access is renewed at the beginning of each financial year based on new prices.  

All annual charges are due and payable at the beginning of the financial year and apply for the full year. These charges are fixed and cannot be prorated nor refunded. 

New Projects

During project establishment, charges are prorated based on the quarter in which the project commences. These projects will be subjected to the full year costs in the new financial year to renew DataLab access for their projects.  

Annual charges are not adjusted or prorated when a project concludes or is planned to conclude. This approach ensures adequate cost recovery for the closure, storage, and archiving activities required at the end of a project.

Automatic Closure 

• Projects may be closed based on the estimated end date recorded in myDATA. If an extension is needed, a change request can be submitted through myDATA before the closure date.
• Charges will continue to apply until the project is formally closed and deactivated in the DataLab, regardless of data completeness or usage during the final period.
• Projects approaching the closure date in myDATA will be notified 12 weeks prior to the estimated end date. If no action is taken or if no response is received, the relevant project will be closed. Reopening a project will incur additional fees. 

Manual Closure 

• The ABS has rights to close a project should a project refuse to pay subscription charges.
• A project will be closed upon inactivity of more than 6 months.
• A final warning will be issued 2 weeks prior to closure. If no action is taken or if no response is received, the relevant project will be closed 2 weeks from the final warning being issued.

End-of-Project Access and Reactivation 

• Projects are not typically configured to be paused and resumed after closure, due to current system configurations. Re-accessing archived project data involves significant resource and cost implications.
• In many cases, the effort and expense required to reactivate a closed project are comparable to maintaining the project continuously for the full year. For this reason, careful consideration should be given before initiating closure, especially if future access may be required.
• Reopening a project will incur additional fees, please contact the ABS if you need to re-open a closed project

• Non-standard charges are charges for services that are not covered as part of the annual charge.
• These charges are for supplier costs and additional services provided above the base suite of software and services.
• Databricks and Non-standard Virtual Machine charges are issued quarterly based on reported usage and access to the non-standard service retrospectively. Schedule of charges as below: 

• Non-standard charges commence once a project or user-based non-standard access is granted. This applies even if some datasets are incomplete or not yet available at the time of access.
• The following table summarises non-standard services and its charging bases. These services may not follow a quarterly billing cycle and are billed annually to support consistent service delivery and cost recovery: 

• The Universities Australia Agreement covers standard charges only for nominated projects. It does not include any Data Integration or Non-Standard services such as SAS Licences, Additional Storage, DataBricks, Non-Standard Virtual Machines, high clearance demand and high service. These are separate charges invoiced to the project directly.
• Project leads are offered an option to join the queue to be covered under the Agreement during project establishment. Option chosen during proposal cannot be reverted. Projects that opt to be user funded cannot choose to join the queue later.
• Invoicing will be issued by the accounts department from the ABS Finance Department.
• For more information, please refer to the ABS/Universities Australia Agreement

Fee Calulator

Use the Access Outside Australia calculator below to calculate the estimated cost for your project. Final fees are determined by your ABS representative. The calculator must be downloaded. 

Note: Fees calculated using this tool may not be accurate. 

Types of Access Outside Australia projects – charges in AUD and excl. GST:

Domestic (Australian) Researcher Travelling outside of Australia 

If you're an approved DataLab researcher based in Australia and plan to travel overseas while continuing to use DataLab, a one-off Assessment fee of $1,600 applies on the financial year. 

This fee is charged per researcher and covers: 

• Additional approval steps (support, documentation, and revised agreements)
• A cyber-security assessment
• Setup of secure DataLab access while overseas 

All other standard and non-standard DataLab fees apply per the current price catalogue on the Charges page. 

Scenario 1 

We are an Australian based project with five researchers and is charged an annual fee of $5,500 to access DataLab. If one of us plans to travel overseas for six months and wishes to continue using DataLab during that time, an additional $1,600 Assessment fee applies for that researcher. 

In the year that travel occurs, our total annual fee will be $7,100. In all other years, the fee is $5,500, as per the standard DataLab pricing should there be no more travelling researchers. 

                                               Figure 1 

                            Graphs made using fee calculator

Domestic Entity partnering with Researcher(s) overseas or an Overseas Entity with Overseas Researcher(s) – See Scenario 2 & 3 

If you are an Australian organisation with researchers located outside Australia OR an overseas entity with overseas researchers using DataLab, the charges that apply are: 

• All standard and non-standard DataLab fees apply as outlined in the current ABS price catalogue;
• A one-off establishment fee of $4,100 is charged for each overseas entity involved for a project. This covers the costs of assessing the organisation’s privacy and legal settings, customising undertakings, and obtaining custodian approvals;
• A one-off Assessment fee of $1,600 per researcher;
• An annual top-up fee of $1,900 applies per project to support ongoing activities such as maintaining agreements, whitelisting users, monitoring, auditing, and client support; and
• In some cases, an additional legal fee of $7,600 may be charged—particularly for projects or organisations operating under complex legal frameworks, such as international bodies like the OECD. 

Scenario 2 

A. One overseas researcher 

We are an approved Australian research project with a small team of 1 to 5 researchers. 

Recently we collaborated with a researcher from England. This overseas researcher has just been approved to access DataLab. 

In the first year of this arrangement, we would expect to pay $11,200 for the researcher’s overseas access, which includes: 

• $5,500: The standard annual fee for Tier 1 DataLab projects.
• $1,600: An Assessment fee for the overseas researcher, covering the necessary checks to ensure they meet DataLab’s access and security requirements.
• $4,100: An organisation establishment fee, which applies if the overseas institution hasn’t previously been reviewed by DataLab.
• Legal fees may apply, but only if specific legal agreements or custom arrangements are required. (refer to Figure 2) 

 In subsequent years, the cost reduces to $7,400 annually, comprising: 

• $5,500: The ongoing annual fee.
• $1,900: A top-up fee to maintain access for overseas researchers. (refer Figure 2) 

                                        Figure 2

                       Graphs made using fee calculator

B. Multiple researchers overseas  

We are a small Australian-based research organisation that has recently formed a new partnership with an overseas entity. Our overseas partner has two active researchers who will be contributing to the joint DataLab project. 

In the first year of this collaboration, we would expect to pay $12,800 for its overseas access, which includes: 

• $5,500: This is the standard annual fee that applies to all DataLab projects based on tiers;
• $3,200: An Assessment fee for the two overseas researchers (charged at $1,600 per researcher) to ensure they meet DataLab’s access and security requirements.
• $4,100: An organisation establishment fee, which covers the initial review of the overseas partner (assuming they haven’t been reviewed previously).
• Legal fees may apply, but only if specific legal agreements or custom arrangements are required. (refer to Figure 3) 

 In subsequent years, assuming no major changes to the partnership, the cost is estimated to be $7,400 annually, which includes: 

• $5,500: The ongoing annual fee (+ price changes)
• $1,900: A top-up fee to maintain the overseas researcher access. (refer to Figure 3)  

                                        Figure 3

                     Graphs made using fee calculator

Scenario 3

As an overseas entity,  we have five researchers who need access to the DataLab. we should expect to pay $17,600 in the first year, which includes: 

• $5,500 for the annual DataLab fee.
• $8,000 in Assessment  fees for my five researchers (at $1,600 per researcher), to ensure they meet the necessary access and security standards.
• $4,100 as an organisation establishment fee
• Legal fees may apply, but only if specific legal agreements or custom arrangements are required. 

In subsequent years, assuming no changes in project agreements, annual cost would be approximately $7,400, which covers: 

• $5,500 for the ongoing annual fee.
• $1,900 as a top-up fee to maintain access for my researchers. 

                                        Figure 4

                    Graphs made using fee calculator

At present, ABS do not have the system capability to support prepayment arrangements as part of our standard charging processes. However, for projects with anticipated charges exceeding $5,500, prepayment discussions can be initiated on a case-by-case basis. These arrangements must be agreed upon in advance and are subject to internal approval and operational feasibility.