Stepping up from subcontractor to principal contractor is a big move for any business. It brings opportunity, growth and control, but it also brings risk. Recently, Bidsmith helped a well-established heavy forestry haulage company make exactly that leap by winning a major ACT Government tender worth approximately $10 million.
This was not just a winning tender. It was a defining moment in our client’s business journey.
A strong business facing a new challenge
Our client operates in the heavy forestry haulage sector and had been delivering part of the contract scope for years as a subcontractor. They knew the work. They knew the assets. They knew the operational environment.
What they had never done before was respond to a government tender of this size, complexity and visibility.
The opportunity was an open tender issued by the ACT Government for a multi-year, fixed price contract, running for up to five years. It was a rare chance to move out from under a principal contractor and take direct responsibility for delivery.
But with that opportunity came several serious challenges.
The risks of going it alone
Before engaging Bidsmith, the client had three major concerns.
First, they had never attempted a tender of this scale. A $10 million government tender brings detailed compliance requirements, pricing risk, legal exposure and strict evaluation criteria. Getting one part wrong can be enough to lose.
Second, they were unfamiliar with ACT Government tendering requirements. Each jurisdiction has its own procurement rules, terminology and expectations. Assuming tenders are “all the same” is one of the most common mistakes we see.
Third, and most delicately, they needed to tender against their former principal contractor. This required careful management to avoid alerting the incumbent or damaging a long-standing commercial relationship.
This was not a tender they could afford to get wrong.
Bringing in a tender consultant early
Our client engaged Bidsmith to provide complete tender response assistance. From the outset, our role was not just bid writing. It was about control, confidence and strategy.
We took responsibility for managing the entire tendering service so our client could focus on running their business while knowing the response was under control.
This included:
- Developing a clear tender strategy aligned to the ACT Government’s evaluation framework
- Managing the tender process discreetly and professionally
- Providing experienced bid writers with deep ACT Government knowledge
- Ensuring every requirement was addressed clearly and consistently
For a client attempting their first tender at this level, having an experienced tender consultant made the difference.
Building a tender strategy that supported the step up
One of the most important parts of this submission was positioning.
The client had always delivered under another company’s banner. Now, they needed to show they could stand alone as the principal contractor.
Our tender strategy focused on:
- Demonstrating proven delivery of the scope, not hypothetical capability
- Clearly separating operational strength from contractual history
- Addressing risk, governance and management expectations head-on
- Showing maturity, systems and leadership appropriate to a principal role
This is where experienced bid writers add real value. We know how government evaluators think, what concerns them, and what they need to see to feel confident recommending a new principal contractor.
Managing a sensitive competitive situation
Tendering against a former principal contractor requires discretion.
Bidsmith managed the tender response process in a way that protected our client’s commercial position. Communications, document handling and timelines were all tightly controlled. This ensured the response could be developed without alerting the incumbent or creating unnecessary tension.
For businesses in Canberra and across the ACT, this type of situation is more common than many realise. Knowing how to manage it properly is part of professional government tender writing.
Writing a clear, confident tender response
With a strategy in place, our bid writing team worked closely with the client to develop the tender response.
We structured the submission to be:
- Easy for evaluators to follow
- Clearly aligned to the published evaluation criteria
- Direct, practical and evidence-based
- Focused on outcomes rather than marketing language
This was not about overselling. It was about demonstrating capability, reliability and readiness.
Every section was reviewed to ensure it answered the question being asked, not the one the client wished had been asked. That discipline is critical in government tender writing.
Supporting the client beyond submission
The tender process did not end at lodgement.
The period between tender close and contract award was longer than expected, which can be stressful for any business, especially one attempting its first major government tender.
Bidsmith supported the client through:
- Tender clarifications
- Follow-up information requests
- Ongoing management of the procurement process
This post-tender support ensured the client stayed responsive, confident and commercially protected throughout evaluation.
The result: a business-changing win
The outcome was exactly what the client hoped for.
They secured the contract.
More importantly, they achieved their strategic goal of breaking out from a subcontractor role to become a principal contractor delivering directly to the government.
This win changed the trajectory of their business and positioned them strongly for future ACT tenders and government opportunities in Canberra.
Why specialised tender assistance matters
This project is a strong example of why businesses should not be afraid of tenders, but also why they should not underestimate them.
For companies facing their first government tender, or their first tender of significant size, engaging a specialist tender consultant can dramatically reduce risk and increase confidence.
Bidsmith brings:
- Proven tender writing capability
- Experienced bid writers with a government background
- Clear tender strategy development
- End-to-end tendering service support
Contact us, if you are considering ACT tenders, government tender writing, or tenders in Canberra and want to step up with confidence, specialised assistance matters.