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For buyers

Validate before you automate.

Run a factory, warehouse, commercial kitchen, hospital, lab or distribution centre? AutomationFinder helps you test whether automation is feasible, what it should cost and which suppliers can deliver — before you commit a dollar.

Talk to an expert Heads up: “Get started” takes you to our partner platform, HowToRobot, where your project runs — free to start, no credit card.
An initiative of Robotics Australia Group Powered by HowToRobot Independent. Local. Connected.
Your project, validated
FeasibilityCan this task actually be automated?
PriceWhat should it really cost?
CapabilityWhich suppliers can deliver it?
Answered by the market — 20,000+ vetted suppliers
Becoming a buyer

Anyone exploring automation can be a buyer.

You don’t need robotics knowledge, a big budget or a finished spec. If your organisation has a repetitive task, a labour gap or a process bottleneck, you already qualify. Here’s what being a buyer on AutomationFinder means:

No cost

Free to start

Create your first project brief and test the market at no cost. You only pay if you choose a paid plan or expert help later.

Privacy

Anonymous by design

Suppliers respond to your brief, not your brand. Your company name stays hidden until you decide to reveal it — so quotes reflect the job, not the size of your logo.

Control

You stay in control

You approve which suppliers take part, you set the deadlines, and you’re never obliged to buy. Walk away at any point if the numbers don’t stack up.

How it works

From rough idea to comparable quotes — in five steps.

The whole journey runs on our partner platform HowToRobot. You start free, and every step is structured so suppliers compete on equal footing.

Step 1

Describe the task

Guided questions turn your rough idea into a structured project brief — or our experts write it with you.

Step 2

Publish anonymously

Your brief reaches 20,000+ vetted suppliers, including 460+ Australian vendors. You approve who takes part.

Step 3

Answer questions once

Supplier Q&A runs through the platform, and answers are shared with all participants — you never repeat yourself.

Step 4

Compare quotes

Budgetary quotes arrive in one consistent format — price, approach and capability, side by side.

Step 5

Shortlist & move

Request firm proposals from your shortlist and proceed only when feasibility, price and fit are validated.

600+ automation projects have been delivered globally through the platform — by Fortune 500s and small job shops alike.

Our partner platform

You start here. Your project runs on HowToRobot.

AutomationFinder is Australia’s front door to HowToRobot, the global automation procurement platform. When you click “Get started”, you’ll continue on HowToRobot to build your brief, manage supplier responses and compare quotes — with the local backing of Robotics Australia Group behind you.

5%discount on paid plans for all Australian buyers
15%discount on paid plans for Robotics Australia Group members

Same project, same account, end to end.

Powered by
HowToRobot
The global automation
procurement platform
Expert help

Want hands-on help? Bolt on an expert service.

Independent, local and fixed-fee — no long consulting engagement. Our experts visit your site, do the groundwork and hand you decision-ready outputs. Each service is scoped to one process; add one or stack them as your project grows.

Start here · Stage 1

Automation process scoping

You know which process you want to automate but not how to brief the market. We define it for you.

From AU$3,000fixed fee
What’s included
  • 1-day on-site visit for one process
  • A structured project brief (RFI), written for you
  • Your brief published to the supplier network
Not included
  • Feasibility or business-case analysis
  • Collecting or comparing quotes
Brief delivered 2–4 days after the visit
Stage 2 · Should we do it?

Feasibility assessment

You need to know whether automating this task actually stacks up — technically and commercially — before spending more.

From AU$6,500fixed fee
What’s included
  • 1.5-day on-site assessment for one process
  • Technical and commercial viability review
  • Written feasibility report with a clear recommendation
Not included
  • Writing or publishing your project brief (RFI)
  • Supplier outreach or quote sourcing
Report delivered 2–4 days after the visit
Stage 3 · What will it cost?

Assisted budgetary quote sourcing

You want indicative market pricing to build a budget or business case — without running the process yourself.

From AU$10,000fixed fee
What’s included
  • We run supplier outreach and manage the Q&A
  • Budgetary (non-binding) quotes collected for you
  • Side-by-side comparison report
Not included
  • Supplier site visits
  • Firm, binding pricing
Quotes in 5–6 weeks · comparison report 2–4 days after kick-off
Stage 4 · Ready to commit

Assisted firm quote sourcing

You have a shortlist and need binding proposals you can take to the board or the bank.

From AU$10,000fixed fee
What’s included
  • Supplier site visits to your facility
  • Firm, binding proposals collected and reviewed
  • Support through supplier selection
Not included
  • Equipment purchase or procurement
  • Installation or project implementation
Proposals in 6–8 weeks after supplier visits
Book an assessment Independent · Local · Fixed fee · No lock-in · Prices exclude GST
FAQ

Common questions

Q.Where do we start?

Click “Get started” and answer the guided questions on HowToRobot. In minutes you’ll have a structured brief you can publish to the market — or save as a draft while you think it over.

Q.Is it free to start?

Yes. The self-guided starting plan is AU$0. Paid plans and expert services only come in when you want to submit an RFQ or require hands-on help — Australian buyers get 5% off paid plans, and Robotics Australia Group members get 15%.

Q.How do anonymous requests work?

Your brief is published without your company name. Suppliers register interest, you approve participants, and all Q&A answers are shared with everyone taking part — so quotes are comparable and nobody gets an inside run.

Q.What if we need hands-on help?

Bolt on an expert service. From a AU$3,000 single-process scoping visit to fully assisted quote sourcing, our local experts do the legwork — fixed fee, no lock-in.

Ready to validate your first project?

It takes minutes to describe your task, costs nothing to start, and could save you from an expensive automation mistake.

Continues on our partner platform, HowToRobot.