Competing for Government tenders can build a significant pipeline of revenue for your business. In this blog, we will share some resources to help you win Government contracts.
But first, it’s important to understand the nuances of Government tenders. We’ll be speaking about the tender process for State, Territory, and Federal Government to avoid confusion. We’ll leave the thousands of Local Governments for another blog!
It’s easy to compete in government tenders
Generally speaking, the procurement process surrounding Government opportunities has several benefits that make it easier for you to compete. What do we mean by that?
Probity (i.e., not being dodgy)
Governments are bound by probity more than the private sector. They’re spending taxpayer money and are therefore accountable for where that money goes. This means they must follow a lot of procurement guidelines, and the process is generally a fair and reasonable one.
Competition
Governments usually publicise which companies have downloaded the tender request documents. Being able to view who might submit a bid takes the guesswork out of who you are up against…keep in mind that they can see you too, though!
Negotiation
Don’t assume you’ll get an opportunity to talk to the Government after submitting your bid. This can be a good thing though, putting forward your BAFO (best and final offer) gives you the peace of mind that you’ve thrown everything at winning upfront.
Feedback
Governments typically must give you feedback if you ask for it. Getting feedback, win or lose, is critical in ensuring you know which parts of your bid were well received and which weren’t. This helps you next time.
How are government tenders advertised?
Every state and territory in Australia have an online portal where tenders are advertised and submissions are made. You can sign up for alerts when specific tenders are released and set filters so only the ones that suit your industry, for example, are sent to you. Or (a better idea) sign up to Australian Tenders and get just one email with all the opportunities that suit you from local, state, federal, and private industries (see what we did there 😉).
These are the portals for each state and territory:
In short, registering with austenders (for Federal Government opportunities) or signing up to the State Government portals is a great start when staying across Government procurement activities.
Winning government business
The best place to go to understand how to win Government business is (drumroll) to the Government itself. And thankfully, in Australia, Governments are more than happy to give you pointers. After all, they want the best selection of bids to choose from, so it’s in their best interest to help you out.
Now, with all these fantastic resources out there guiding you on how to submit outstanding bids, surely everyone bidding would read it, right? Wrong. Governments aren’t known, ahem, for their ability to write entertaining and readable documents. But we promise that if you persevere, you will be ahead of your competition and in a better position to win… that’s worth it, right?
We’ve done the searching for you. Here are the Government supplied cheat sheets, FAQs, tips, tricks, and resource libraries to get you ready for upcoming tender opportunities. Boil the kettle and settle in!
Australian Government Resources
At the core of it, when Governments buy goods and services or construction works, value for money is usually at the center of their decision making. This is vastly different from simply assessing price where social and environmental factors are playing more of a role in buying decisions.
Make sure you are familiar with the agency’s usual purchasing procedures and what drives them aside from price.
Some Final Resources
Joining business networks or listing your organisation as a social or sustainable business is often a great way to stand out from the rest. Requests for tender in all states and territories in Australia usually ask if your organisation is an Aboriginal business or employs people with a disability. Simply registering with the Industry Capability Network (ICN) can positively impact the opportunities you are exposed to.
We’ve included some resources below to get you started:
Australian Network on Disability
As always, good luck and happy bidding!
The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP)