Some tenders are about growth. Others are about protection.
For this long-standing Bidsmith client in the stationery and office supplies sector, a recent NSW Department of Education panel tender was firmly in the second category. The contract was worth more than $5 million, ran for three years with extension options, and supported steady employment across the business.
Losing was not an option.
A proven business under pressure
Our client is an established, family-owned business with a strong track record of supplying office products. They were also the incumbent provider on this panel, which brought both advantages and pressure.
On one hand, they understood the customer, the systems and the expectations. On the other hand, they knew this was a highly competitive NSW government tender that would attract national and multinational suppliers with scale, buying power and polished bid teams.
To make matters more challenging, the tender was released with a short response timeframe at a point when the client was already extremely busy running day-to-day operations.
This is a familiar situation for many businesses responding to NSW tenders. Capability is not the issue. Time and risk are.
The risk of relying on incumbency
One of the biggest misconceptions in government tendering is that being the incumbent makes winning easier.
In reality, incumbents often face higher expectations. Evaluators assume you know the system, understand the risks and have no excuses for vague or generic answers. At the same time, competitors work hard to dislodge you with aggressive pricing and highly resourced submissions.
Our client knew they needed to put forward a strong, professional response, but they simply did not have the internal capacity to manage the full tender process without impacting the business.
That’s when they turned to Bidsmith.
Using tender consulting to save time and reduce risk
After completing a detailed tender analysis, we held a strategy session with the client to agree on direction, positioning and priorities. This step was critical. It allowed us to focus the response on what mattered most to the NSW Department of Education, rather than trying to say everything.
Because this was a long-term client, we already had a deep understanding of their business, systems and service model. That allowed us to move quickly.
We used our tender consulting experience to:
- Develop a clear response structure aligned to the evaluation criteria
- Identify where incumbency added value and where it did not
- Focus on continuity, reliability and service quality rather than scale
- Remove unnecessary content that added risk or confusion
From there, we took on full bid management responsibility.
Managing the entire tender response
Bidsmith managed the complete tender response process, from first draft through to final, ready-to-lodge documents.
Our team prepared a near-complete initial draft for the client’s review, incorporating:
- Compliance responses
- Service delivery descriptions
- Capability and experience statements
- Education-specific considerations
This approach saved the client an enormous amount of time. Instead of starting with a blank page, they were able to review, refine and add value where it mattered, without being buried in administration.
For busy businesses, this is one of the biggest benefits of professional tender writing. It allows leaders to stay focused on operations while still submitting a competitive response.
Competing against larger suppliers
This tender attracted suppliers with national footprints and global backing. Rather than trying to compete on size, the strategy focused on:
- Demonstrated performance within the NSW education environment
- Responsiveness and flexibility
- Proven service reliability
- Understanding of school and departmental needs
Government panels are not awarded on marketing claims. They are awarded based on confidence. Our job was to ensure evaluators could see, clearly and quickly, why retaining this supplier made sense.
A strong result with long-term impact
The outcome was exactly what the client needed.
They successfully secured a place on the NSW Department of Education panel, protecting more than $5 million in work and ensuring continuity of service delivery.
Just as importantly, the result provided certainty for their workforce and allowed the business to plan ahead with confidence.
For an incumbent supplier, this type of win is not about headlines. It is about stability, trust and long-term value.
Why time matters in tendering
This project reinforces a key lesson we see repeatedly across NSW tenders and education tenders.
Even highly capable businesses can struggle to respond well when time is tight. Tender writing takes focus, structure and experience. Trying to fit it in around a full workload increases risk and often leads to weaker submissions.
By engaging Bidsmith’s tender writing service, this client was able to save time, reduce stress and submit a response that reflected their true capability.
Tender support that adapts to your business
Whether you are chasing growth, like moving from subcontractor to principal contractor, or protecting an existing position on a government panel, the approach matters.
Bidsmith provides:
- Tender consulting tailored to your situation
- Full bid management when internal resources are limited
- Tender writing that aligns with government expectations
- Practical support that saves time and reduces risk
This NSW Department of Education panel win sits alongside other recent successes where early strategy, structured response development and experienced tender consultants made the difference.