What buyers usually ask for
- Service levels and response times
- Planned and reactive maintenance
- Staffing, trades and subcontractors
- Asset reporting and systems
- Transition in and out of the contract
- Pricing by service, site or schedule of rates
How to stand out
- Commit to response times you can meet, with evidence
- Explain your transition plan week by week
- Show the reporting the client will receive
- Use referees from similar portfolios
Where to find them
Check AusTender, your state portal and council tender pages. See where to find tenders in Australia.
A go or no go check for this kind of work
- Can you staff the sites at the hours and frequencies asked?
- Do you hold the insurances and any licences required?
- Do you have a similar contract to show, with a referee?
- Can you meet the response times and reporting?
- Does the price allow for travel, plant and supervision?
Common mistakes
- Pricing a lump sum when the schedule asks for rates
- A methodology that does not match the staffing in the price
- Ignoring transition from the current supplier
- Missing site specific risks
Pricing tips for service contracts
Build your price from the buyer's schedule, not your own format. Separate routine rates from reactive or call out rates, and state what is included in each. Check whether the contract allows rise and fall (price adjustment) over the term. If it does not, allow for wage and cost increases across the years you are pricing.
Facility management tenders and maintenance contracts
Facility management tenders range from a single building to large portfolios with cleaning, security, maintenance and grounds bundled into one contract. Read how the work is split: some buyers want one head contractor, others split services into separate lots you can bid for one at a time.
Questions
Do I need special certifications for facilities management tenders?
It depends on the buyer and the work. Check the mandatory requirements in each tender; some ask for quality, safety or environmental systems.
Can a small facilities management business win government tenders?
Yes. Many contracts are sized for small and medium businesses. Choose tenders that match your capacity and location.
What makes a methodology stand out for this work?
Specific numbers for crews, frequencies and response times, tied to the actual sites in the tender.
Should I visit the sites before pricing?
Yes, when you can. Site visits often reveal access, size and condition issues that change the price.