Learn how to do business with Council

Published on 22 November 2019

An inside look at how to do business with Rockhampton Regional Council is being offered to businesses free of charge next week, with two supplier forums taking place on Thursday November 28.

The forums will cover upcoming tender opportunities, how to navigate the tender document, and what things are considered when awarding a contract. There will also be Council staff on hand to provide hints to suppliers about how to improve their submissions.

Rockhampton Region Mayor Margaret Strelow said Council wanted to work with local suppliers wherever possible.

“We are absolutely committed to supporting the businesses that operate right here in our region and these free forums are a part of making that happen.

“You’ll be able to learn everything you need to know to put in a good bid for Council work, and of course as a local business you will benefit from our Local Preference Policy which put almost $270 million into the local economy between 2014 and 2018.

“This equates to about three quarters of all the money we spend on goods and services, and the only reason the number isn’t higher is because of the specialist nature of some projects which requires items from outside the region – think the Airport Pavement Project, Kershaw Gardens Play Equipment and the synthetic hockey surface.

“If your business isn’t based inside the region don’t despair, if we can’t find the right fit in our council area we prioritise those who run their businesses in Central Queensland next.

“My strong advice is to come along to one of our free forums, take advantage of the expertise of the staff on hand, and you’ll go away with a clear and thorough understanding of how to submit excellent bids for Council projects.”

Date: Thursday 28 November

Time: Session 1 | 7am – 8am & Session 2 | 4pm – 5pm

Location: Walter Reid Cultural Centre - Cnr. Derby and East Streets, Rockhampton

Get your free ticket at RockhamptonTickets.com.au.

The Local Preference Policy gives local business a minimum 12 per cent weighting for projects under $1 million and 5 per cent weighting for greater than $1 million.

For projects over $150,000, tenderers who nominate local suppliers and sub-contractors for goods and services for use in the project to a minimum value of 30% of the tendered sum also receive a weighting of 10 per cent.

Click here for information on how to do business with Council and to download the Supplier's Guide.