I spent eight days in beautiful Cairns and Douglas Shire recently, where I was able to check out the local tender scene, catch up with tradies, meet local business owners at networking events and attend the FNQ Major Projects forum. Here’s what I learnt about Cairns Tenders I have the pleasure of sharing with you.
I spent eight days in beautiful Cairns and Douglas Shire recently, where I was able to check out the local tender scene, catch up with tradies, meet local business owners at networking events and attend the FNQ Major Projects forum. Here’s what I learnt about Cairns Tenders I have the pleasure of sharing with you.
Plenty of tender action is happening, with local Councils regularly issuing new tenders. You can find Cairns Regional Council tender opportunities on Tenderlink, and the Shire of Douglas uses VendorPanel. In the two months since I returned, I’ve seen many options posted for a wide range of services, including cleaning, earthmoving, trades (electrical, plumbing etc.), design and construction activities, manned security, HR services and IT services.
One thing I did notice is that many smaller businesses are hesitant to take their first step into the world of tendering, thinking that contracts are awarded only to the bigger market players. Not so — councils want to know that you have the skills, experience and resources to get the job done, and in many cases, prefer smaller businesses because they know that you will be more focussed on delivering quality outcomes than some of the larger companies for whom the contract represents only a small portion of total turnover.
The FNQ Major Projects Forum was a real highlight in the Cairns city council tenders and the QLD Government is in the throes of delivering a $1.3 billion capital works program across the region, with a further $2.43 billion currently being planned. The program is focused on providing essential infrastructure to meet the increasing needs of local residents. As I write this, I can see current tenders advertised for water treatment plants, sewerage pump stations, water security, and dam risk assessments.
Douglas Shire alone is currently managing 101 individual capital works projects for things as diverse as ferry infrastructure and replacement, bridge replacements, shared pathways for pedestrians and cyclists, playgrounds, emergency accommodation and smart water meters.
In Cairns, the pipeline of public and private projects amounts to $1.3 billion worth of construction activities to be undertaken over the next 12 months, with another $1.2 billion in projects planned but not yet committed. Historically speaking, this is a significant pipeline of work, with the majority of committed projects being in the heavy and civil sectors.
Cairns’ construction industry is now working through a pipeline of projects on a scale that has never been seen before in the region. This pipeline has materialised quickly and is impacting both the building and engineering sectors simultaneously, opening more doors for tender submissions.
FNQ capital projects committed into 2023 and beyond include a wide range of services required for roads, health, education, tourism, public safety, harbours, ports & freight, housing & community, environment, and energy & water.
If you’re not registered on VendorPanel yet, it’s time to do so. Register, and you’ll get a daily feed of relevant opportunities that may interest you. Tenderlink is a paid service, so you won’t get any notifications unless you pay a fee, but regularly checking the Cairns Regional Council website for tender opportunities is a good idea.
That’s it for now. If you’re reading this, I hope you find some awesome Cairns tenders to bid for. If you need a hand with your tender bid or want to chat about a response strategy, please get in touch. You can call me (Pauline) on 0400 514 579, email me at pauline@tenderwise.com.au or contact me here. I’m always happy to chat, and I love talking about tenders.