Less than four years away, the Victorian Regional Commonwealth Games are to be delivered in record time and will require the delivery of significant goods and services to provide a world-class, seamless event.

The CEO of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games Jeroen Weimar told a Victorian Chamber event audience in February that the event will present significant opportunities for Victorian businesses, particularly in the regions - including those not hosting any Games events. 

The government has been clear that this is an opportunity for regional businesses to get involved in procurement.

More than 1,200 procurement opportunities across industry and region will be created due to the scale of hosting the Games from 17 to 29 March 2026. 

Government procurement tips

Procurement, or becoming a supplier to the government, is an exciting opportunity. The process of applying to win government work is challenging and presents a learning curve for businesses that have never done it before.

Some background information and tips for businesses engaging in procurement for the first time:

• Preparation is key – Preparing tender response documents often take much longer than anticipated.
• Consider a consortium approach – If tender opportunities are larger and more complex than what a sole business can deliver, businesses can partner to apply for and deliver a government contract.
• Each government department runs its own tender processes – If you’re tendering for multiple projects across different departments, the tender processes may be very different. The State Government has increased efforts to standardise these processes, however.
• Information and input from all parts of the business is often required – Map out your requirements, information you need to provide, and how you’re going to project manage not only the work you’re tendering for but submitting your tender response.
• Consider external, professional tender writers – If your business has the resources and is unsure of the ‘language’ required to respond to government procurement, an external tender writer could help you overcome the challenge.
• Offering a great product or service is not always enough – Businesses bidding often need to prove that they’re quality employers by providing information such as:
• Work towards net-zero
• Social Procurement
• The Fair Jobs Code (for government contracts valued at $3 million or over)
• A health and safety policy
• Industrial relations policy
• An employer of target cohorts: women, people with a disability, First Nations people, and more
• Any other, business-specific relevant information.
• Go local – Local jobs, content and social impacts are often preferred in businesses that supply to government. Look into the Victorian Government’s criteria on the Local Jobs First and the Social Procurement Framework policies and how your business can fulfil the policy requirements.
• Review the tender documents – Make sure you are being clear about what you’re responding to. Ensure you documents are:
• Put together in a professional manner
• Respond to all the tender requirements
• Complete.
• Complete submission – When submitting tender response documents, allow yourself time to review and complete the process. Submission is online and the websites can sometimes crash or take a long time to load.

Commonwealth Games procurement

Key actions for businesses engaging in procurement for the first time for the Commonwealth Games include:

• Utilise the Industry Capability Network (ICN) – Victoria’s expertise to prepare for your tender, including using the ICN Gateway, Local Jobs First information and requirements under the Social Procurement Framework. Make a profile as soon as you can.
• Make a supplier profile on the Buying for Victoria website and subscribe for updates.
• Apply for the Fair Jobs Code if the contract you tender for is likely to be more than $3 million.

“The Games here in Victoria couldn’t be in better hands. We’re really looking forward to its progress and local business getting involved,” Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Paul Guerra said.

Interested parties can join the Victoria 2026 Industry Opportunity Briefing: Geelong & Ballarat. For more information on the events, follow the links below.

For more information on the events, follow the links below.

Victoria 2026 Industry Opportunity Briefing: Ballarat

Date: 6pm Wednesday 24 May 2023

Registration: 5.30pm

Forum: Welcome to Country to start at 6pm followed by presentations

Networking and refreshments: 7.30pm – 8pm

Location: Federation University (Geoffrey Blainey Auditorium, Mt Helen campus)

RSVP: Please click here to register by 22 May

Victoria 2026 Industry Opportunity Briefing: Geelong

Date: 6pm Thursday 25 May 2023

Registration: 5.30pm

Forum: Welcome to Country to start at 6pm followed by presentations

Networking and refreshments: 7.30pm – 8pm

Location: Kardinia Park (Legends Room)

RSVP: Please click here to register by 23 May