Have you submitted the following tender submission schedule:
- T26021 - Attachment D - Tender Submission Schedules

Question:
The latest Stonnington annual report indicates expenditure in of around $1.6m on consulting services. Does this provide a fair indication of the total volume of work expected to be commissioned annually from this panel? If not, can you provide an annual ballpark?

Answered on 21/May/2026 04:22 PM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

The expenditure of approximately $1.6m reported in the Annual Report reflects historical consulting spend and provides a general indication only. While Stonnington does not intend to set or disclose a specific budget for this tender, the figures outlined in the report are broadly in the expected ballpark.

Please note that actual work volumes will vary depending on Council priorities and project needs, and no minimum volume of work is guaranteed.

Question:
I am a sole trader operating under a registered business name. Can you please confirm whether sole traders are eligible to submit a tender response for this panel, given the requirement in section 1.2 for an incorporated entity, trustee or partnership? If not, would a sole trader who incorporates prior to contract execution be considered?

Answered on 21/May/2026 04:23 PM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question. As per item 2.2.1 of the tender invitation, Sole traders will not be considered for this engagement. This is a part of the conformance criteria and is a pre-requisite for the evaluation stage.

Incorporation prior to contract execution will also not be permitted.

Question:
The mandatory insurance requirements specify $20,000,000 Public Liability and $10,000,000 Professional Indemnity. Can you confirm whether these thresholds apply equally across all panel categories? We are a specialist strategy and social policy consultancy considering applying for the Strategic Planning Consultancy and Social Policy and Community Planning categories, where the risk profile is materially different from statutory planning, VCAT advocacy or on-site services.

Answered on 21/May/2026 04:24 PM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question. The insurance thresholds will apply for all panel categories. However, you can submit a non-conforming tender response. Make sure to outline the insurance thresholds you would be requesting to change.



The evaluation panel will be able to take these into consideration during the evaluation process.

Question:
The specification refers to three broad service categories (for example, “Specialist Social Policy and Community Planning”) and to a number of more specific categories beneath each heading (for example, “Consultancy Report Writing, Research, Analysis, Engagement, Facilitation, Advice and Assessments”). Could you please confirm whether tenderers can nominate:

- only at the broad category level; or

- at the specific category level within each broader category?

For example, if we wanted to provide selected services within the broader “Specialist Social Policy and Community Planning” category, would it be acceptable to nominate only the categories listed beneath that heading?

Answered on 26/May/2026 11:39 AM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Nominating for specific subcategories within the 3 broad categories is acceptable.

Please make sure to list the subcategories you can provide services for, under each of the 3 broader categories.

Question:
Hi, we are a small community engagement consultancy with a background in planning. Should we apply for this panel?

Answered on 26/May/2026 11:43 AM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Determining whether to submit a tender response is best left up to the individual. Please have a read over the tender documents provided, specifically the "T26021 - Attachment A - Specification" document. This will provide the best indication of whether the services you provide match up with Council's requests under the panel.

Question:
I am a small consultancy. Am I able to:

1. Submit a tender response as the Supplier as well as being a sub-contractor on a submission led by another Supplier? (recognising that, given the range of services covered by the panel, some future RFQs may be suitable for my consultancy to lead, whereas others might be led by a Supplier from a related discipline where there might be a specific role for the services offered by my consultancy as part of their team).

2. Be listed as a sub-contractor by multiple Suppliers who are applying for this panel (again recognising the range of services covered by the panel).

Answered on 02/Jun/2026 11:34 AM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

1. You may submit a tender response as a lead Supplier in your own right, while also participating as a subcontractor in another Supplier’s submission.

2. You may also be nominated as a potential subcontractor by other Suppliers submitting a tender to the panel, provided each arrangement is clearly articulated in the respective submissions.



Your tender response must be submitted independently and must not rely on or duplicate content from other submissions. Additionally, you should ensure there are no conflicts of interest and that all roles and relationships are transparently disclosed.

Question:
Section 9.7 of the contract includes a ‘hold harmless’ provision. Would Council consider revisiting this clause? We are unable to accept hold harmless provisions, as they go beyond a standard indemnity by applying regardless of the extent to which the other party’s conduct contributed to the loss. These provisions are commonly prohibited by insurers as they create contractual liability beyond what is available at law.

Answered on 02/Jun/2026 11:20 AM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Council will not revisit this provision currently. However, this can be added in as a contract departure within your tender response. The evaluators will consider this as a factor during the evaluation of your tender response.

Question:
Section 10.1 of the Deed of Standing Offer document requires a Performance Security, the amount of which is informed by Schedule 1 – Annexure. The Annexure shows ‘ $XX unconditional bank guarantee - provided in full to Council by XX from an approved financial institution. OR Not applicable’.

Can you please advise whether Council intends to select ‘Not applicable’ to this contract, or specify an amount?

Answered on 09/Jun/2026 10:52 AM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Unless otherwise specified by our legal department, Council intends to select "not applicable" to section 10.1 for this panel.

Question:
Dear Anthony and the City of Stonnington team,

We seek clarification on the intended response format for the following sections:

Question 9 – Approach.

As this tender is for appointment to a panel, with no project-specific scope, deliverables, programme or volume of work provided, can Council confirm whether tenderers should provide a general panel delivery methodology, including indicative response times, resourcing approach, quality assurance and escalation processes?

Question 11 – Timeframes / programme

Similarly, can Council confirm whether tenderers should respond by outlining general availability, mobilisation timeframe, capacity to respond to future requests, and ability to meet agreed timeframes once individual scopes are issued?

Rates schedule

The rates schedule requests one hourly, daily and weekly rate per discipline / service category. Can Council confirm whether tenderers may instead provide role-based rates by personnel level / seniority within each relevant discipline, rather than a single blended rate?

Many thanks.

Answered on 04/Jun/2026 03:54 PM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

Question 9 – Tenderers can provide a general methodology based on how they would complete panel work. This can include details that have been listed in your question, as well as any other information you deem relevant to your response. Respondents are requested to tailor their answers to the category/categories of work they are tendering for.

Question 11 – Tenderers can provide a general response outlining availability, mobilisation timeframe and other relevant details. Please base this on how you would complete any incoming panel work. Respondents are requested to tailor their answers to the category/categories of work they are tendering for.

Rates Schedule:

Rates can be provided in a role-base/personnel format. Please make sure to include a time measurement of how much each level would cost, per hour, day, week etc.

Question:
Hello,

In the Tender Submission Schedules, the prompts under the 'Approach' section (p. 9-10) appear to refer to a specific project brief. However, this tender is for a general set of services and each respondent may apply for a broad range of categories.

With specific projects not yet determined, please advise how best to outline our intended approach in a way that meets the needs of all potential projects, including variable aspects such as timeline and resource utilisation.

Do you recommend addressing each category (e.g. Consultancy Report Writing and Assessment) individually, or providing a more general summary of our approach to all relevant categories?

Thank you

Answered on 04/Jun/2026 04:23 PM:


Hi,

Thank you for your question.

For the 'approach' section, tenderers can provide a general response outlining their approach for completing panel work. This can include details that have been listed in your question, as well as any other information you deem relevant to your response. Respondents are requested to tailor their answers to the category/categories of work they are tendering for.

Either a general summary, or addressing each category will be sufficient. Should each category contain a different methodology/approach, it is recommended to list them out separately.