As part of preparing your business to bid for Government work, it is worth self-assessing the capability and scale of your business. This includes considering the average invoice value and/or value of contracts your business normally enters into.

Government procurement processes are generally based on the value of the goods or services being offered – the higher the value, the more involved and detailed the tender process will be.

Knowing the purchasing patterns for your business will assist you in planning your approach to win Government work.

Low-Value Orders

For low value orders, Government tends to procure a series of quotes from suppliers (rather than full tenders), so your focus should be on building awareness about your business: that is, build your profile with Government buyers. Put simply, if they don’t know about your business, the chance they will contact you to quote is low.

Registering with the SA Product & Services Register and attending events, such as Industry Briefings, will help build awareness of your business. More information on building your profile can be found later in this module.

High-Value Orders

Higher value orders will most likely be procured through a tender with the open market. In these instances, your focus should be on ensuring you are ‘tender-ready’. We suggest you keep an eye on SA Tenders and Contracts and prepare information about your business in advance of a tender being released.