The department is located primarily at 50 Marcus Clarke Street, where it occupies almost 40,000 square metres.

All of the department's leases, roughly 75,000 square metres of office space across Canberra, will expire by May 2025 and the department is apparently seeking to shrink its footprint.

The department has gone out to tender seeking expressions of interest for accommodation options between 50,000 and 70,000 square metres. It has restricted the search to within the Canberra CBD.

The Australian Electoral Commission is also housed within 50 Marcus Clarke Street and is a party to the new tender, meaning it would continue to be located alongside the Education Department.

The tender documents show the department is open to either a single building, campus style accommodation or multiple buildings that meet the accommodation requirements.

The department said it would consider options for a new building, a refurbished building or leasing an existing building but all option must meet A grade accommodation requirements.

The building must also have the capability to provide a COVID-safe environment in accordance with territory health requirements.

Education has asked for a minimum of 230 secure, reserved car spaces with a maximum of between 600 to 700.

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It is seeking a 10-year lease with at least two five- year options thereafter.

The department has not specified a lease commencement date, but has said any new lease should consider the expiry dates of its current leases to avoid any holdover or dead rent.

The department's five Canberra leases expire between 31 March, 2024 and 23 May, 2025.

Its biggest office, 50 Marcus Clarke Street, was sold to South Korean investment company Mirae in 2017 for $321 million, one of the ACT's largest ever real estate transactions.

The department entered into a 15-year lease at the building in 2010.