The competition to run the 2026 digital census will be the first big test of whether PwC’s $1 public consulting spin-off can win back the trust of government. The embattled firm had been considered the front-runner to win the prestigious contract before the damaging tax leaks scandal.

After a three-month delay, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has completed documentation to formally request bidders to tender to operate the digital platform, e-forms and website for the next census. Details of the tender were published on the central procurement platform, AusTender, on Wednesday.