Should your law firm pay to find tenders? Here’s what’s worth it.
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth subscribing to a paid tender alert service for your law firm, you’re not alone.
Platforms like Consolidated Tenders and Australian Tenders regularly email EOFY offers and make bold claims about access to private and “invite-only” opportunities.
But do they actually deliver? And are they worth the money?
Here’s what you need to know before reaching for the firm credit card.
Start with what’s free
The vast majority of legal services tenders in Australia — especially government ones — are published on public portals.
If your firm’s target market includes federal, state, or local government, you can (and should) register for alerts through:
AusTender (Commonwealth)
Tenders NSW, Buying for Victoria, QTenders, SA Tenders, etc.
Local government portals or shared services hubs (e.g. VendorPanel, VendorPort, TenderLink)
Specialised panels (like Local Buy in QLD or WALGA in WA)
You’ll often get daily alerts for free, and these cover almost every open legal tender in Australia.
So what do paid platforms add?
Paid services like Australian Tenders, Consolidated Tenders, TenderSearch, and others aggregate opportunities across jurisdictions and add filters, email alerts, and keyword matching.
Some claim to offer access to private, exclusive, closed or invitation-only tenders.
But here’s the rub:
They mostly scrape or repackage public opportunities
They skew heavily towards infrastructure, construction, and non-legal categories
Keyword filtering can miss adjacent or niche legal opportunities (e.g. workplace investigations or regulatory compliance)
Many “closed” or “invite-only” listings turn out to be expression-of-interest or supplier registration portals
As one colleague noted after testing a high-priced service:
“They said they’d track invite-only panels for the Big 4 banks or insurers. But when I asked for proof, they admitted they didn’t have that info…”
Our verdict on the main players (as of July 2025)
Australian Tenders
Best all-rounder for firms that want daily alerts from across government and regulated sectors.
Includes some private tenders.
Filters well by “Legal Services”.
From $67/month. Free trial available.
Consolidated Tenders
Most comprehensive; lots of listings, especially public sector.
Expensive (~$130/month) and tends to replicate free sources.
Try the 30-day free trial if you're curious.
TenderSearch
Older service with a mixed reputation. Legal filtering can be hit and miss.
Pricing not publicly listed; must request a quote.
VendorPanel Discovery
Best for visibility, not browsing.
Used by many councils for closed tenders; you get invited if you’re on the right panel.
Around $5,000/year.
So, should you subscribe?
It depends on your firm’s goals.
If you’re chasing public sector work:
Start with the free government portals and layer on Australian Tenders if you want a single feed with legal-specific filters.
If you want closed or private tenders:
No aggregator will reliably deliver these. They’re based on relationships, reputation, and being in the right networks — not keywords.
If your partners want a magic tender tap:
There isn’t one. But a short-term trial might help them see what’s out there (and how little of it is truly exclusive).
Final takeaway: Don’t expect a tender subscription to do your business development for you. But the right platform (at the right price) can make your law firm’s marketing and BD team’s job easier.
About the author
Amy Burton-Bradley is a legal tender strategist and the founder of Bidtique. Law Firm Tenders is her resource site for firms who want to sharpen their approach to tenders, bids, and proposals.