The Big Blokes
Barry had one go at a government tender, a training job for a department's road crews, and spent two weeks of nights on it. He didn't get it, so he decided government work is for the big blokes.
← All episodes · Training and education · 0:54
Plenty of small training businesses have Barry's story. One government tender, a fortnight of late nights, no result, and a conclusion that sticks for years: government work is for the big blokes, because the big blokes have tender teams.
The tender team is not really the difference. The difference is when each side first hears about the job. Government agencies publish forward procurement plans, so the bigger firms often know a training contract is coming months before the request for tender goes live. They have pitched, hired and priced by the time a small provider sees the notice and starts from nothing with three weeks to go. Being first to the open tender is still being last to the job.
Helm Tender brings Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council and federal tenders into one feed and sends one morning briefing with the ones that fit your business, so you are looking at the same list the big blokes are.
What they say
Barry: G'day, I'm Barry. I love doin' business the way I always have.
Dave: And I'm Dave. I used to. Then I found a better way.
Barry: Did one, once. Two weeks of nights.
Barry: Training a department's road crews. Didn't get it.
Dave: So that was that.
Barry: Government work's for the big blokes. They've got tender teams.
Dave: I used to say that. Word for word.
Barry: What changed?
Dave: Stopped turning up late.
Barry: I was a day early.
Dave: The big blokes knew it was coming six months out.
Barry: ...Six months.
Dave: You weren't beaten. You were late.
Barry: What's this?
Dave: Mine. Helm Tender. Shows me what's coming, from their own published plans.
Barry: ...Lighter than the folder.
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Barry and Dave are fictional characters.