From recent engagements - Anonymised under NDA
Tender Review - NZ FMCG
Brownfield process utility pipework - industrial tender package
- Sector
- NZ food & beverage processing
- Scope reviewed
- Industrial mechanical pipework, utility services, brownfield expansion
- Engagement
- Lean cost build-up, commercial review, nine-revision submission support
The problem: A subcontractor preparing a competitive tender needed a defensible cost build-up that could survive client lean-procurement scrutiny - across an 82-item photo-to-scope register, multiple supplier inputs, and rapidly evolving scope.
What we did: Structured the cost build-up into a single source of truth, ran the submission through nine revision cycles, populated the client's lean cost annexure, and conducted scope-to-photo reconciliation to close gaps between drawings, site evidence, and pricing logic.
Result: Submission tightened to a lean-defensible range without abandoning margin position. Scope risk visible to the tender team before submission, not after award.
"Lean tendering doesn't reward the cheapest number. It rewards the one you can still defend in week 12."
Read the full case study ->
Common questions
Practical answers before you send through a file.
Who actually does the work?
Simon does all the commercial review work himself. Positive Earth Growth Hub is a single-operator practice - no junior estimator, no outsourcing, no offshore team. Simon is a senior engineer, QS, and commercial advisor with industrial mechanical, piping, and fabrication background across NZ food processing, infrastructure, and brownfield plant projects.
How is confidentiality protected?
Mutual NDA is standard on every engagement once project data is shared, and available within 24 hours on request for any engagement below that. Project files are held on Simon's own systems, never shared with third parties, and deleted on request after delivery. No project information is ever reused or referenced without full anonymisation and client agreement.
Is there a conflict of interest if you also work in industry?
Positive Earth Growth Hub doesn't bid against the businesses it reviews. If a potential conflict is identified during scoping - for example, an overlap with an active project on the engineering consultancy side - the engagement is declined and you are told before any project data is shared.
What size projects do you review?
Most useful where the work carries enough complexity, risk, or repeat value to justify structured commercial review.
What do I send you to get started?
The most useful starting pack is: drawings or scope notes, the current quote or commercial file (Excel preferred), any supplier or subcontractor quotes, and the client tender or RFQ pack if there is one. Bullet-point context emails are fine - anything missing, we'll ask for it.
What if you don't find anything wrong with my quote?
That's a real outcome - and one worth paying for. You receive a written commercial-defensibility note confirming the quote stands up, with any low-priority observations noted. In practice, most engagements surface something useful - even tightening exclusions or assumptions has commercial value at submission stage.
What's the difference between a one-off audit and the retained service?
Defined briefs handle a single quote, tender, or workflow problem. Ongoing support can be shaped privately where the business has repeated commercial review needs.
How are deliverables formatted?
Written commercial review notes (Word or PDF), marked-up Excel where relevant, structured workbooks built for direct use, and a clear action list. Everything is formatted to drop straight into your estimating, commercial, or project workflow - not academic reports nobody reads.
More on Tender Reviews
How late in the tender cycle can you start?
A Submission Check (By brief) can run inside 24 hours, suitable for tenders closing in 2-3 days. A Commercial Stress Test (By brief) needs 48 hours; an urgent same-day uplift is available where capacity allows. Below 24 hours is generally not workable - the value of the review depends on being able to read the scope properly.
Do you only review the price, or also the submission documents?
Both. Review logic, scope alignment, exclusions, assumptions, supplier risk, and the submission documents themselves - cover letter, annexures, commercial summary - are all in scope. A tender is not just a price; it's a legal-commercial document and is treated as one.
Can you help after submission - with clarifications or negotiation?
Yes, on an hourly or retained basis. Post-submission clarifications, supplier RFIs, and pre-award commercial negotiations are common follow-on work. Retained clients receive this as part of monthly support; one-off clients receive a quote for hours required.
