How to bid for council work - successfully!

Working as a contractor or sub-contractor for councils can be an excellent way to ride

the ups and downs of New Zealand’s residential construction economy – but it isn’t

always easy to secure work, especially if you’re a smaller business

Being a member of a professional organisation, such as the Registered Master Lanscapers

(RML), is a mark of quality that can help in a tender process. While landscapers aren’t

guaranteed to land council contracts based solely on being an RML member, councils often select landscapers based on criteria similar to that required for RML membership, including evidence of strong health and safety practices.

For example, councils may require landscapers to achieve a health and safety pre-qualification, such as SHE PreQual, which assesses contractors to ensure they are committed to safety, have good systems to back up this commitment, and can work safely in practice.

Questions for councils

NZ Landscaper asked a variety of councils across New Zealand what they look for when it comes to assessing the suitability of a firm to take on a contract.

“We concentrate on insurances and health and safety qualification membership first and foremost,” said Robert Lodge, Procurement Manager at Rotorua Lakes Council.

Upper Hutt City Council Open Spaces and Facilities Manager said the council’s selection criteria is based on a proven track record of relevant skills, as well as “methodology, price, resources and health and safety”.

In Wellington, RML member Natural Habitats has secured Wellington City Council jobs due to its

“known capabilities” in planting and maintenance, while the company's existing relationship with the main contractor has helped it secure sub-contracts.

The inside scoop

RML member Nicola Rae runs Weka Landscaping with her husband and former Young Landscaper of the Year Andrew Rea. Nicola previously worked as a Parks Projects Officer at Central Otago District Council (CODC), where she was responsible for engaging contractors to deliver capital works across parks, reserves and streetscapes.

Having been involved with both sides of the process, Nicola is uniquely placed to offer landscapers advice on how to bid for – and win – work from councils.

“In my experience, tenders were commonly awarded based on factors such as proven relevant experience, competitive pricing and local presence, with local contractors often receiving higher scores,” said Nicola.

Nicola added that landscapers who want to win more council contracts should do the following:

• Build relationships: Proactively reach out to the relevant council staff, even if there’s nothing

currently out for tender. Introduce yourself, showcase your work (without being overly salesy), and aim to build a rapport.

• Ask questions: Find out how the council typically procures work. Do they use a preferred supplier list? What qualifications or systems do they require (eg, SHE PreQual)?

Be prepared: At CODC, we introduced a policy requiring all contractors to have health and

safety pre-qualification. This helped ensure a high standard of health and safety, which

often correlates with workmanship quality. Be aware that getting accredited process can

be time-consuming, particularly for smaller operators.

• Upskill where it counts: Councils are always short on suitably qualified contractors for technical work, such as playground installations. Training a staff member in playground safety

standards can set your business apart and open up niche opportunities.

“Larger tenders often favour the big players, such as Fulton Hogan,” Rae added. “If you’re a smaller contractor, consider forming relationships with these companies and positioning yourself as a reliable subcontractor.”

Landscapers should also be aware that tender timeframes, especially for Ministry of Education and council work, are often too tight to allow for smaller businesses to respond thoroughly or competitively.

“At the end of the day, council staff are often time poor and torn between trying to please ratepayers, elected members, and other staff. So, if you can make their job as easy as possible, it will definitely be in your favour,” said Rae. “From my experience, don’t be shy about suggesting a better way of undertaking a job that council staff may have overlooked.”

WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TENDER

Will Morrison, Senior Landscape Architect for Kūmānu Environmental, said that RML members

interested in bidding for council work need to weigh up the pros and cons first.

“With any tender, you need to evaluate whether it’s worth your time. Preparing a tender is a significant time investment. There’s no point submitting one if the work doesn’t align with your values, or you clearly have no chance of winning.

“It’s also important to build a good team to take on the job. Don’t be afraid to partner with other contractors, who can compliment your skills or who have more experience in certain areas. We’ve done that in the past and successfully won work as a result.”