The top Australian tender websites you should register on (they're free)

For any business, winning government and private sector contracts can provide a reliable revenue stream and foster growth. One of the easiest ways to access these opportunities is by subscribing to tender notification services. Fortunately, there are free platforms that will keep you in the loop by notifying you of new tenders as soon as they are published. Here’s a list of top free Australian tender websites that you can subscribe to for notifications.

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AusTender

AusTender is the Australian Government’s tender portal, where all federal government tenders are published. It's a centralised platform where you can browse upcoming, current, and closed tenders. You’ll get access to all federal government tenders, and you can search by industry, agency or keyword., and you can also set alerts for new opportunities.. Check it out at www.tenders.gov.au

Government Tenders – State-Based Portals

Each state and territory government in Australia maintains its own tender portal, offering a wide range of opportunities for local businesses. These portals provide free access to tenders published by state and local governments. Some states even offer subscription services to receive alerts about new tenders.

• New South Wales (eTendering): www.tenders.nsw.gov.au

• Victoria (Buying for Victoria): www.tenders.vic.gov.au

• Queensland (QTenders): www.hpw.qld.gov.au/qtenders

• Western Australia (Tenders WA): www.tenders.wa.gov.au

• South Australia (SA Tenders and Contracts): www.tenders.sa.gov.au

• Tasmania (TenderLink Tasmania): www.tenderlink.com/tasmania

• Northern Territory (NT Tenders and Contracts): www.nt.gov.au/tenders

• Australian Capital Territory (ACT Government Procurement): www.tenders.act.gov.au

ICN Gateway (Industry Capability Network)

ICN Gateway connects businesses with project supply chains across Australia and New Zealand. It's especially valuable for those in construction, engineering, and manufacturing. You can register yout company profile for free and receive notifications about tenders that align with your capabilities.. You’ll receive tailored notifications based on your industry and services, and you can upload and maintain a business profile to improve visibility. Connect with ICN at www.icn.org.au.

Local Government Tender Portals

In addition to state and federal tenders, local councils across Australia frequently post tender opportunities. Many local government websites have free tender notification services that alert businesses when relevant opportunities become available. These tenders are often less competitive than larger federal projects, providing a great entry point for smaller businesses.. The fastest way to find out where your local Council advertises tenders is to search the Council name followed by “tenders”. That should bring you to a page that tells you where the Council published their tender opportunities. Two common platforms are VendorPanel and eprocure.

Paid Websites

There are also paid websites such as Tenderlink, Tendersearch and Projectory. They list tender opportunities for an annual subscription, and if you are a member, you can get a regular feed of tenders that may be relevant. Some local councils and Government Departments still post opportunities through Tenderlink, but you can also access them for free by visiting the Council website and searching for current tenders. You’ll then get a link to the relevant place on the Tenderlink website where you can register for free, but you won’t get updates for new tender opportunities.

A Final Word

For any business, staying informed about new tender opportunities is crucial for growth and securing contracts. By subscribing to the free Australian tender websites listed above, you can ensure your business stays ahead of the competition and doesn't miss out on valuable opportunities. Whether you’re looking for government contracts or private sector work, these platforms can provide regular updates that keep you informed and ready to act.

And I’m always here to help if you need a hand with your tender response preparation - just give me a call on 0400 514 579 or shoot me an email to pauline@tenderwise.com.au.

How long does it take to know if your bid submission succeeded?

Waiting to find out if you’ve won that bid submission can be a painfully slow process. Some tenders will get evaluated, and the successful one (or tenderers in some cases) will be notified in just a few weeks, while others can take months….and months.

Why? Well, it depends on a number of factors, including: 

• How quickly the issuer needs to make a decision

• How complex the tender is (obviously, the more complex, the more information the evaluation panel will need to wade through)

• Whether the issuer wants more information from the short-listed candidates (including asking you if you want to update your pricing)

The good news is that if the tender issuer communicates with you, you’ve probably made the shortlist. Being asked for your best and final pricing is always tricky, given that you’ve probably already given it your best shot, and sharpening the pencil a bit more could be an easy way for you to price yourself out of business.

Some of them will let all respondents know who has won the bid submission, and some will also provide you with feedback so you know exactly how you rated against your competitor. If you find out that you haven’t been successful but haven’t been given any details why, always ask for feedback.

If you were left hanging and you don’t know if you’ve been successful or not, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask for an update. You can also check the tender website on which the tender was listed, as some of these will list the successful tenderer/s once selected.

Another option — if a local Council issued your bid submission — is to check the Councillor's monthly meeting minutes (these are always published on the Council website). You may have to trawl through a few months worth of minutes, but they will usually include a brief overview of each tender received, how they rated and who was successful. 

At the end of the day, no two tenders are the same, and there’s usually no hurrying the outcome. One of my clients recently waited nine months to find out they had been successful. It was worth the wait, though, as they were awarded three contracts with $18 million.

So be patient, hope for the best and always seek feedback so you know what you could do better next time. And remember, if you'd need an external pair of eyes to take a peek at your bid submission and provide feedback, I'm happy to provide a high-level review completely free of charge and obligation. All you need to do is shoot an email to pauline@tenderwise.com.au or call me on 0400 514 579.

Can a good Capability Statement help me to win tenders?

A Capability Statement is an important business tool. It tells the story of who you are, what you do (what your core competencies are), who your core team are, and what you've done. You can use it for many purposes, including as part of a business pitch, a downloaded document on your website, a printable brochure, as part of a tender response, and of course, as a support tool for your tender submission. It's not called a Capability Statement for nothing — it shows you're CAPABLE!

Not so long ago, a standard copy was a largely text-based document limited to one or two pages. These days though, they are incorporating design elements to make them far more visually appealing — the written content may be the same. Still, spreading it over more pages and adding images and graphics is far more attention-grabbing.

But be warned — there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to including a statement of capability in your tender submission:

1. You can’t just attach it to your submission and hope that someone on the evaluation panel will be interested enough to open it actually. You need to check that it is relevant to the submission requirements.

2. ALWAYS check the tender instructions to avoid mistakes and ensure it’s allowable to include attachments as part of your response (usually, it’s fine, but some tenders specifically state that all information must be contained only within the tender response schedules.

3. ALWAYS reference it in your tender response. The best place for this is any section where you’re asked to provide an overview of your business. Here, you can give general information, then refer to the attached Capability Statement (I would usually add it as an Appendix) for more details.

If you don’t have one yet or your current one is a bit old and boring, it might be time for a new one. At TenderWise, we’ve written and designed Capability Statements for a wide range of businesses, and if you’d like to see a sample of our work, just contact us here, shoot us an email at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or give me a call at 0400 514 579.