How to Win Government Tenders as a Tradie
A practical guide informed by more than 20 years' experience in government procurement environments.
Here's the hard truth most tradies never get told
You don’t lose government work because you can’t do the job.
You lose it because your paperwork doesn’t stack up.
I've worked across federal and state government, and seen first-hand how procurement decisions are made and documented. That experience now informs how I help contractors prepare submissions that meet assessment requirements.
I’ve designed scoring frameworks, chaired evaluation panels, and assessed hundreds of tender submissions from contractors across every trade.
And I’ve seen the same thing happen again and again.
Good tradies.
Solid experience.
Quality services.
Knocked out before price is even considered.
Not because they weren’t capable, but because they didn't prove it on paper.
Government tenders don’t work like domestic or builder quotes. They're governed by formal procurement rules that determine how responses are evaluated. Evaluators can’t “read between the lines”, assume competence, or give you the benefit of the doubt.
If something isn’t clearly documented, compliant, and easy to score, it may as well not exist.
This guide is about making sure you understand the rules, so you’re still in the race when it counts.​
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is written for trade contractors who:
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are excellent at what they do
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are sick of losing work they should be winning
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want to understand how government tenders are actually assessed
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don’t want fluff, theory, or recycled tender advice
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I’ve written this to help you get your documents sorted before you waste time chasing a tender you can never win with the paperwork you currently have.
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Because once you understand how government tenders are assessed, you stop guessing and start positioning your business in a way that's easy to assess and score.
What Government Buyers Actually Want
Government isn't like private work.
When a builder or homeowner hires you, they are trusting their instincts. They like your quote. You seem reliable. Maybe someone recommends you.
Government can't do that.
Every decision has to be defensible, auditable, and documented. That means everything comes down to what you can prove - in writing, with evidence.
The three questions your submission should address:
1) Can you actually do the work?
Not just do you say you can, but do you demonstrate relevant experience, qualified personnel, and the capacity to deliver at this scale?
2) Will you be safe and compliant?
Do you have proper WHS systems, insurances, licences, and environmental controls?
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Not "we take safety seriously", actual documented policies and procedures.
3) Are you a
risk that can be justified?
If something goes wrong, does your documentation clearly show why you were the best choice for the job?
If your submission doesn't clearly answer those questions, you're out.
It doesn't matter how good your work is on site.
Why Most Tradies Fail Before They Start
A tradie with 15 years' solid experience. A ute full of tools. A one-page capability statement their nephew made in Canva.
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They find a tender that looks perfect – the right trade, right location, right size. They throw together a response over the weekend, submit it, and hear nothing.
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Then they decide government work "isn't worth the hassle" and go back to word-of-mouth jobs and chasing invoices.
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The problem wasn't the tender. They turned up to a gunfight with a butter knife.
Reality check:
Government tenders aren't a lottery. They're a documentation exercise.
The contractors who win consistently aren't necessarily better tradies, they just present better on paper.
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED
(Before You Even Look At A Tender)
PROFESSIONAL DOCUMENTATION
A capability statement that looks professional and shows a serious business.
A clear company profile.
Key personnel CVs that show relevant qualifications and project experience.
COMPLIANCE PAPERWORK
These aren’t optional. They’re gate requirements (mandatory documents).
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WHS Policy & Management Plan
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Safe Work Method Statements (for your core activities)
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Environmental Policy
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Quality Management Statement
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Others as requested
Without them, your tender is automatically excluded from consideration.
EVIDENCE OF EXPERIENCE
Project summaries that include:
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contract values
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client names (where permitted)
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scope of work
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outcomes
Two or three referees that can validate the size and scope of the projects you've worked on.
You can only be scored on what you can prove.
CURRENT INSURANCES & LICENCES
Public liability,
professional indemnity (if applicable),
workers’ compensation, your state trade licence (QBCC, NSW Fair Trading, VBA etc).
All current.
All documented.
PORTAL REGISTRATIONS
Most government work runs through procurement portals like VendorPanel, Local Buy, or NSW eTendering.
You need to be registered and know how to use the relevant portal before tenders close.
The Reality Check
Government tenders typically require commercial project history not just residential work. If you haven't delivered for councils, head contractors, or larger private clients yet, that's your first step.
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Build the track record first. The tenders will still be there when you're ready.
Why Government Work Is Worth the Effort
Winning Government work isn’t easy.
But for those contractors who get it right, it’s worth it.
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Here’s why many tradies make the shift, and often don’t go back.
Reliable payment
Government agencies pay on time.
No chasing invoices. No “accounts will get back to you”.
Cashflow you can plan around.
Larger Contracts
Instead of piecemeal quoting, you’re competing for:
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$50k projects
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$200k contracts
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$500k+ programs of work
Fewer quotes. Bigger jobs.
Repeat Work
Get onto a panel or preferred supplier list and you’re invited back to quote — often without re-tendering from scratch each time.
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That’s where momentum comes from.
Credibility
Government contracts on your track record carry weight.
They open doors with Tier 1 builders,
councils, utilities, and other agencies who already trust government due diligence.
Stability
When private work dries up, government keeps spending.
Schools, roads, hospitals, maintenance, etc.
They don’t stop because the market tightens.
For many tradies, government work becomes the steady base that smooths out the ups and downs of private jobs.
Open tenders
Publicly advertised. Anyone can apply.
More competition, but this is the usual entry point for most tradies.
Panel arrangements
Pre-qualified supplier lists.
You apply once, get assessed, and if accepted, you’re invited to quote on work as it comes up.
Less competition per job. More consistent workflow.
This is where the steady work is.
Select tenders
Invitation-only.
Usually limited to panel members or known suppliers.
You won’t even see these unless you’re already inside.
How Government Tenders Actually Work
Not all tenders are equal.​
Understanding the difference helps you target the right opportunities and avoid wasting time on work you’re not ready for yet.
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For most tradies, the path looks like this:
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It takes time and effort to apply for government work. The requirements can be complex, the documents hard to interpret and, without the necessary experience, its easy to get it wrong.
Trying to skip steps is how small businesses burn out and decide government work isn’t worth the hassle.
It is if you take your time and do it in the right order.
What Gets Scored (And What Gets Skipped)
What actually matters
Relevant experience
Specific projects with dates, contract values, scope of work, and outcomes.
Vague claims score nothing.
Key personnel
Who is actually doing the work, their qualifications, and how long they’ve been with you.
Methodology
How you’ll deliver the work i.e. sequencing, risk management, communication, and controls.
How you'll do it, not just “we’ll do a good job”.
Compliance
Often pass/fail. Miss one mandatory document and you’re out. No scoring, no price review.
Price
Maybe weighted 20% of the overall evaluation score, often not weighted at all.
Cheapest rarely wins. Best value does.
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What typically gets skipped
Glossy brochures and marketing fluff that don't answer the questions asked in the tender.
Long company history essays.
Photos of the team at a BBQ.
Vague statements about “commitment to quality” with no evidence.
If it doesn't help you score against the criteria, it's wasted space.​​
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Chances
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Copy-paste responses
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Missing mandatory documents
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Ignoring word limits
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Claims with no evidence
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Submitting at the last minute - tenders close to the second.
There are no second chances.
The Reality Most Tradies Face
Can you do all this yourself?
Yes. Probably.
But most tradies don’t have time to:
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write compliant WHS and quality systems
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create activity-specific SWMS
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develop a capability statement that actually scores
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learn and navigate procurement portals
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understand and write a tender response that answers every requirement
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while still running jobs, coordinating a crew, quoting work, and keeping cashflow alive.
That’s the gap.
You know you can do the work.
You just don’t have the paperwork to prove it.
What This Means for You
If government work is something you want to pursue, you have two options.
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You either:
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invest the time to learn the system, build the documents, and make mistakes along the way, or
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get your paperwork sorted properly so you can focus on running jobs and quoting work.
There’s no shortcut.
And there’s no point chasing tenders until the foundations are right.
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The contractors who succeed in government work aren’t guessing.
They’re prepared.
Their documents are compliant, consistent, and easy to assess and score.
That’s what being tender-ready actually means.
The question isn’t whether government work is “worth it”.
It’s whether your paperwork is ready to compete.
Final Word
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Most tradies don't miss out on government work because they're underqualified.
They miss out because they don't know how to show it.
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Once you understand how tenders are evaluated, it stops being a guessing game and becomes something you can prepare for.
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Whether you choose to do it yourself or get help, the important thing is this:
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Don't chase tenders you can't yet win. Fix the foundations first.