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Inside the Tender: How Civil Project Partners Help Clients Compete and Win
An interview with Ryan O’Neill
Bidding for infrastructure projects has never been more competitive, and nowhere is that more evident than in road construction. Whether it’s a local bypass or a major highway duplication, tenders are increasingly complex, time-constrained, and strategic in nature.
For Civil Project Partners (CPP), supporting clients through the tender process is about more than numbers. It’s about understanding how clients win work—and ensuring they’re set up to deliver it successfully.
“When we step into a tender, we start by asking one thing: what does the client value?” says Ryan O’Neill. “That might sound obvious, but understanding their priorities, constraints, and risk appetite is what shapes a winning response.”
CPP’s support spans cost estimating, programming, risk management, vendor analysis, and risk assessment. What sets them apart is their ability to draw on real project delivery experience and tailor solutions accordingly.
Every tender is different, but many share a common challenge: adhering to the original strategy. “Teams usually start with a bid strategy session – how we’re going to win – but by the time the response is being finalised, that direction may need revisiting or refocusing,” Ryan explains. “We help keep that strategy on track and ensure it is aligned with what the client actually wants.”
That alignment might be built around non-price criteria such as environmental outcomes or stakeholder engagement, or cost competitiveness, productivity assumptions, or supply chain synergies might shape it. In many cases, it’s all of the above.
The nature of competition also plays a role. “Some contractors own their own quarries, plant and equipment, haulage assets or have associated businesses that provide complementary services, and that can provide a distinct advantage. Others might have stronger relationships or a history of good performance with a particular client, which matters when evaluation criteria include experience and personnel.”
In a cost-driven market, the push to compete on price is a reality, but it’s not without risk. “There’s always a danger in winding up productivity assumptions just to hit a price point,” says Ryan. “That pressure might help win the job, but it can put unrealistic expectations on the delivery team and lead to issues down the track.”
That’s where CPP’s value becomes clear. “We work to validate those assumptions early, using our experience from site and delivery. If there’s a more efficient sequence or a smarter staging approach, we’ll find it. If the price needs to come down, we look for risk-based mitigations – commercial, technical, or program-related – essentially productivity gains and efficiencies that can create savings.”
Ryan sees collaboration as increasingly essential, especially on complex or high-risk jobs. “In projects with a lot of uncertainty, like disaster recovery works, a more collaborative model, like an early contractor involvement (ECI) or collaborative contracts, can provide better value for money. It allows unknowns to be explored and ownership to be shared without locking everyone into unrealistic delivery positions.”
That doesn’t mean all projects need such models. “Straightforward projects with well-understood risks can still go down the traditional path. The key is choosing the right delivery model based on the project’s characteristics, and we often help clients assess that early in the process.”
Time pressure remains a challenge. Many contractors operate in a reactive cycle, waiting until tenders are released before starting their planning. “The most successful clients are the ones who engage early. They track forward pipelines, understand when work is coming to market, and start developing their strategies ahead of time.”
In fact, Ryan is quick to point out that one of the most valuable things asset owners can do is communicate early and clearly. “When government clients or industry bodies provide forward-looking pipelines, like TMR’s QTRIP or QMCA’s Queensland Major Projects Pipeline Report, it gives contractors confidence and time to prepare properly. That means better bids and ultimately better project outcomes.”
Complexity, he says, is increasing. “Yes, there are more technical requirements, but also more non-price criteria, environmental factors, training targets, and stakeholder engagement. And things like traffic staging in urban areas, those can make or break a program if not worked through properly at tender time.”
For CPP, the value isn’t just in developing accurate cost estimates or detailed programs; it’s in helping teams work as one. “We engage across functions, including procurement, construction, traffic, environment and make sure the assumptions behind the bid are grounded and realistic. That’s what makes the difference between a bid that’s simply compliant and one that’s genuinely competitive.”
CPP’s experienced team brings backgrounds from design, delivery, and project leadership. “We’ve stood on both sides of the job. That helps us understand where site teams get stuck, what tends to go wrong, and how to avoid it. We’re not just analysts; we’ve done the work.”
The tendering process, Ryan admits, isn’t always perfect. “Sometimes clients drop tenders over the holiday period. Sometimes, critical information is missing. Sometimes, there isn’t enough time to develop the best possible solution. But when we’re brought in early, given access to work with the client’s full team, and supported to explore options—that’s when we add the most value.”
Looking ahead, Ryan sees both opportunity and pressure on the horizon. With the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane drawing closer, the sector is bracing for a surge of demand, but also risks related to supply chains, labour competition, and rising delivery expectations.
“There’s always a short-term sugar hit with major events,” he says. “But for businesses looking at the long game, the real focus should be on sustainable markets. Strip out the Olympics, and ask: are the projects coming to market still viable? Can your offering compete over the long term?”
For Civil Project Partners, that’s the space they work best in: helping clients think clearly, plan better, and build strategies that win and endure.
To learn how CPP can support your next tender or infrastructure project, contact us or contact the team directly for tailored advice on cost estimating, programming, risk, and delivery planning.