Welcome to a new episode of I'm The Gaffer 👷‍♂️

If you're a contractor, construction business owner, project manager, engineer, estimator, consultant, or SME looking to win more government and public sector work, this episode is packed with practical advice you can apply to your next tender.

In this episode, Jason Cooney, Director of Tsaks Consulting, joins Gavin Coyle to break down the tender process—from deciding whether to bid, writing stronger responses, pricing competitively, using AI effectively, and understanding what buyers are really looking for.

You'll learn:

• How to quickly assess whether a tender is worth pursuing
• The biggest mistakes businesses make when bidding for government contracts
• Why social value has become a major scoring factor
• How to structure stronger, more consistent tender responses
• The role of AI in tender writing—and where human expertise still matters
• Why buyers don't always choose the cheapest bid
• Practical pricing strategies that protect your profit while remaining competitive
• How to improve your chances of winning government and public sector contracts

00:00 Check the mandatory criteria first

01:30 Introduction to Jason Cooney

05:26 First steps after receiving a tender

10:37 Tender trends: innovation, AI & whole-of-life costs

13:10 Why social value can make or break your bid

18:06 Building consistent tender responses

21:35 Creating a winning tender response library

25:28 Inside the buyer's mindset

31:19 Why buyers want you to succeed

37:09 Pricing strategies and pricing buffers

Tsaks Consulting (Australia)

https://thetenderteam.com.au/

Tsaks Consulting (UK & Europe)

https://tsaks.com/

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-cooney/

Coyle Group provides safety outsourcing and managed services for high-impact projects across wind, utilities, power generation, engineering, and construction.

With 25+ years of experience, 100+ safety professionals, and over 1 million safety hours completed, Coyle Group helps organisations deliver projects safely and compliantly.

Learn more:

https://coyle-group.com/

I'm The Gaffer, hosted by Gavin Coyle, features conversations with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts covering construction, engineering, leadership, business growth, safety, procurement, and project delivery.

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Website

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