The New Zealand government is made up of 200 separate government agencies. Each agency is responsible for its own operations, including buying goods and services. Sometimes agencies join forces through collaborative contract and each year, the NZ government deals with the full spectrum of businesses, from the world’s largest corporates to New Zealand’s smallest operators.
If you are an Australian business, check the details of the tender in New Zealand you are interested in as each tender will specify whether suppliers are sought nationally or internationally. As soon as NZ government contract opportunities are public, Australian Tenders publishes these on the New Zealand Tenders dedicated page.
Contracts worth over $100,000 for goods, services and construction work over $10 million fall under the mandatory rules and are advertised on GETS (the New Zealand Government Electronic Tenders Service).
To understand how New Zealand buyers approach the market, read the good practice guide, government rules and principles of government procurement in New Zealand.
Government agency buyers might approach suppliers through:
Large contracts are advertised on GETS and suppliers are required to register for GETS using RealMe to access listings.
For smaller contracts, agencies may approach suppliers they already know who then submit proposals for the project. The agency evaluates them and creates a shortlist. Sometimes suppliers will be asked to present to the evaluation team to discuss their proposal.
After final evaluation, the agency awards the contract to the successful supplier.
If you are a supplier, you can tender for:
Collaborative contracts are intended to help streamline government procurement and make things easier for both agencies and suppliers. There are three types of collaborative contracts commonly used by the government in New Zealand: