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= Are your team wasting hours writing government tenders that never get shortlisted?

= Have you ever wondered why competitors always seem to win tenders you never saw?

= Are you missing 80% of the opportunities that never get advertised?

If you think success in public sector work comes from finding tenders online and submitting quotes, this episode is for you, because it's SO MUCH MORE.

In this practical episode, John Downes interviews Diem Huynh, Director at SEDO Group, who has helped hundreds of small and medium businesses win local, state and federal government contracts. Diem breaks down what most organisations get wrong about tendering, and reveals what it really takes to become a trusted government supplier. If your business wants to win long-term, low-risk, high-value work, this episode is essential listening.

What You’ll Learn:

== Why 80% of government tenders are never advertised publicly

== What SMEs get wrong about mandatory tender requirements

== How to build a genuine social procurement strategy

== The role of relationship-building and procurement panels

== What contract management really means—and why it matters

Highlights

00:00 Government tenders: dark art or opportunity?

02:30 What most businesses don’t understand about procurement

04:50 Why you’re only seeing 20% of tenders

08:00 The truth about probity: what you can and can’t do

10:00 Bid or no-bid? The ruthless first gate

12:30 Word limits, redactions, and evaluation rules

14:00 Relationships, risk, and hidden leverage

17:00 Social procurement: the strategic tiebreaker

22:30 What happens after you submit your bid

28:00 Contract management: the most neglected success factor

33:00 #CriticalFewActions™ for Senior Leaders

The #CriticalFewActions™ You Can Do Today:

When I work with successful business leaders, I often hear frustration about wasted time on government tenders. Most SMEs miss 80% of opportunities by bidding too late or without eligibility.

Insight 1: Qualify Before You Bid

Most organisations fail at the first gate due to missing mandatory requirements.

So, what can you do?

= Always run a “bid/no-bid” check first.

= Strictly follow word counts and submission instructions.

Insight 2: Treat Social Procurement Seriously

This is now up to 40% of evaluation criteria in some tenders.

So, what can you do?

= Build a social procurement strategy with real actions and targets.

= Prepare documented examples—not vague promises.

Insight 3: Manage the Contract Like It’s Your Next Win

Many lose future work through poor reporting or SLA performance.

So, what can you do?

= Set up systems to track delivery, compliance and communication.

= Treat each contract like a long-term partnership test.

If you found this conversation valuable, please Subscribe / Follow, leave a comment, and share this episode with your peer business leaders. Your support helps us reach more CEOs who want to improve organisation performance and value.

Stay in the loop with show updates and exclusive content: https://www.criticalfewactions.com.au/podcast/

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Final Thought

If your business is tired of spending weeks responding to tenders with no result, this episode is your wake-up call. The rules are clear. But most SMEs don’t know them. Stop wasting time and get strategic.

Government work isn’t for everyone, but if done right, it can deliver the stable, long-term revenue your business needs to scale.

References:

Victorian Government: Social Procurement Framework — https://buyingfor.vic.gov.au/social-procurement-framework

Australian Government: Contract Management Guide — https://www.finance.gov.au/government/procurement/contract-management-guide

#governmentprocurement #socialprocurement #bidmanagement #strategicplanning #supplychain #contractmanagement #businessgrowth #mediumbusiness