Key criteria and assessment process

Unsolicited proposals must be unique, provide value for money and contribute to the NSW Government's strategic priorities. 

On this page

About the process

Proponents with innovative proposals that meet the criteria outlined in the Unsolicited Proposals Guide for Submission and Assessment (PDF 796.16KB) are encouraged to approach the NSW Government directly.

The Guide covers:

  • how unsolicited proposals are assessed
  • key criteria including uniqueness, value for money and alignment with whole of government objectives
  • the four-stage assessment process
  • roles and responsibilities. 

Key criteria

The NSW Government is looking for proposals that address the following criteria:

  1. Uniqueness: Is your organisation uniquely placed to deliver a proposal that will bring tangible benefits for the NSW Government and people of NSW? For a proposal to meet the uniqueness criterion, you must be the only party able to deliver the proposal and the proposal must deliver unique benefits to the people of NSW. The NSW Government reserves the right to initiate market testing of a proposal if it has merit but is not unique.
  2. Value for money: Does your proposal deliver value for money to the NSW Government, inluding financial and economic benefits?
  3. Whole of government impact: Does your proposal deliver on NSW Government objectives and align with strategic priorities? For example, the Premier's Priorities. 
  4. Return on investment: Is the proposed return on investment, to you the proponent, in line with industry standards?
  5. Capability and capacity: Does your organisation have the proven experience, capability and capacity to carry out the proposal?
  6. Affordability: Does your proposal require any funding from NSW Government?

    Note: If so, government will have to undertake a separate process to determine whether funding is available.
  7. Risk allocation: Do the risks identified with your proposal reflect an acceptable risk allocation to NSW Government?

Tip

Refer to section 2.3 titled 'Assessment criteria' on pages 7 to 10 of the Unsolicited Proposals Guide for Submission and Assessment (PDF 796.16KB) for full description of the key criteria. 

Assessment process 

  • Pre-submission concept review: Before submitting a Stage 1 proposal, you are encouraged to complete the checklist and talk to us about whether your proposal is likely to meet the key criteria.
  • Stage 1A – Initial submission and preliminary assessment: We will conduct a preliminary assessment of your initial submission.
  • Stage 1B – Strategic assessment of initial submission: We will conduct a strategic assessment of your initial submission.
  • Stage 2 – Detailed proposal: You should develop a detailed proposal based on feedback from stage 1. 
  • Stage 3 – Negotiation of final binding offer: We will negotiate a final binding offer with you.

Tip

Refer to section 4 titled 'The Process' on pages 20 to 27 of the Unsolicited Proposals Guide for Submission and Assessment (PDF 796.16KB) for full description of each stage. 

Get in touch 

If you or your organisation has a unique commercial proposal that meets the key criteria, request a pre-lodgement review.

Then follow the steps to lodge your unsolicited proposal. 

If you have questions about unsolicited proposals, contact us. 

Top of page