Government and commercial tenders
Canberra has more government work per head than anywhere in the country. Almost all of it is advertised publicly, for free, on official portals — and most small trade businesses never look, because the first bid looks like a mountain.
Where to look
ACT Government tenders
The Territory's own procurement portal, covering directorates, schools, health and public housing. It's the single most relevant source for a Canberra trade business, and you can register to be notified by category.
Official source: the ACT Government tenders website, tenders.act.gov.au
AusTender
Australian Government procurement. Bigger contracts and panels, and plenty of facilities and maintenance work across Commonwealth property in the ACT.
Official source: tenders.gov.au
NSW eTendering
Worth watching if you work Queanbo, Googong, Bungendore and the surrounding shires. Different jurisdiction, different licensing — know that before you bid.
Official source: the NSW eTendering site
Local government and large private
Queanbeyan-Palerang and neighbouring councils advertise their own work, and large builders, universities and clubs run their own tender processes.
What you need before you can realistically bid
Nearly every rejection at the first hurdle is one of these missing, not the price being wrong.
- ABN, and the right business structure. Sole trader is fine for plenty of it.
- Current licences for every trade you're bidding in, in the right jurisdiction.
- Public liability insurance at the level the buyer specifies, with a certificate of currency ready to attach.
- Workers compensation if you employ anyone, and proof of it.
- A safety system on paper. Not a folder of theory — a real SWMS for the work you do, and evidence you use it.
- Referees. Two or three finished jobs with a contact who'll actually answer the phone.
- Capacity you can evidence. Be honest about crew size. Winning something you can't deliver is worse than not bidding.
Panels are the realistic way in
A one-off tender is a long shot for a small business. A panel or prequalification scheme isn't.
- You apply once, get assessed once, then sit on a list buyers draw from for smaller jobs without running a full tender every time.
- Applications often open at set times, so it's worth checking each portal for what's currently open rather than waiting for a notice.
- The paperwork is front-loaded. It's a hard week once, then years of being reachable.
- The same documents work for the next application, so the second one takes a fraction of the time.
Honest expectations
What this is good for
Steady, repeatable maintenance work with a buyer who pays reliably and doesn't haggle after the fact. Excellent ballast for a business that's already got private work.
What it is not
Fast. From finding a notice to being paid on a first job can be months. Don't restructure a business around it before you've won something.
We do not lodge bids for you, guarantee prequalification, or claim any relationship with the agencies above. This page points at public sources and explains what they ask for.