Should I Bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympics Work? Expert Guide

Every Queensland business owner in construction and trades is asking the same question: “Should I bid for Brisbane Olympics work?”

It’s the most common question we get at Blaze Business & Legal. And it makes sense. The Brisbane 2032 Olympics represents the largest infrastructure opportunity Queensland has seen in generations. Billions in construction contracts. Years of steady work. The chance to say you built something for the Olympic Games.

The industry buzz is electric. Every networking event, every trade breakfast, every Chamber of Commerce meeting, the conversation inevitably turns to Olympic opportunities. Who’s bidding on what. Which Tier 1 contractors are looking for subbies. What the timelines look like.

But here’s what most people are getting wrong when they’re trying to decide if they should bid for Brisbane 2032 work.

Why You Need to Decide RIGHT NOW

The timing of this decision is critical.

On October 8, 2025, the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Procurement Program officially launched. The first Expression of Interest packages were released. This isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s happening now.

Queensland businesses are actively deciding whether to pursue Olympic work at this very moment. Contracts worth an estimated $200 billion in Queensland Government procurement opportunities will be awarded between now and 2032. The first major decisions are being made in the next 6-12 months.

Why Olympic Work Doesn’t Suit Every Business

Here’s what we’re seeing.

Olympic work doesn’t suit everyone. In fact, it doesn’t suit most businesses.

That’s not a criticism of those businesses. It’s just reality. Olympic work requires specific capabilities, financial capacity, risk tolerance, and strategic positioning that many excellent businesses simply don’t have and shouldn’t try to develop just for a 7-year window.

The Decision Window is Closing

Here’s what most business owners don’t realise. The businesses that will win Olympic work in 2028-2030 are positioning themselves right now in 2025.

If you’re not already prequalified, if you haven’t assessed your financial capacity, if you haven’t made the strategic decision about whether Olympic work fits your business, you’re already behind.

But here’s our critical insight, which is quite different from other Consultants. Being behind in the race to bid might actually be the smartest position to be in, because it forces you to ask the right questions first.

The Question That’s Costing You Money

Business owners are asking: “CAN I bid for Olympic work?”

When they should be asking: “SHOULD I bid for Olympic work?”

That’s not just playing with words. It’s a fundamentally different question that could be the difference between the Olympics making your business or breaking it.

Just because you’re a builder, tradie, or supplier doesn’t automatically mean Olympic work makes sense for your business. In fact, for many Queensland businesses, chasing Olympic contracts could be the worst strategic move they make this decade.

The Dangerous Middle Ground

Here’s where most Queensland construction businesses sit – Tier 3 contractors with $10 million to $50 million in annual revenue. We know, because we advise dozens of you.

You’re big enough that Olympic work seems achievable. You’ve got the team, the experience, the track record. You’re not a small operator who would likely be overwhelmed.

But the problem is, you’re not big enough to easily absorb the financial strain, the resource pressure, and the risk that comes with government Olympic contracts.

This is the danger zone.

You’re exactly the size where Olympic work could work brilliantly OR could destroy everything you’ve built. And right now, with 30,000 to 40,000 extra construction workers needed annually until 2032, the pressure to say “yes” to bidding for Olympic work is enormous.

Your mates are talking about it. Your direct competitors are making moves already – it’s pretty obvious when you start looking. The direct competitor of one of our clients in the civil infrastructure industry has just bought 3 new items of plant. (We told our client this was likely a mistake – get in touch if you want to know why).

Everyone else is telling you how to win Olympic work. But as far as we can tell, we’re the only ones asking if you should try.

Why Olympic Work Feels Like an Opportunity You Can’t Miss

The problem is that Olympic work sounds like an opportunity everyone should want. Who wants to be the business owner who says “no thanks” to the biggest project in Queensland’s history?

It feels like you’re missing out, like you’re not ambitious enough, like you’re playing small.

But here’s what nobody talks about…the isolation of making this decision.

The Problem – You Don’t Know Who to Ask

You can’t ask your accountant. They understand your financials but don’t understand government contracts, Olympic procurement timelines, or what kills construction businesses in situations like this. And often they’re not willing or able to go outside their area to give the advice you need.

You can’t ask your peers. Everyone at the networking events is talking about how they’re “definitely pursuing it” or “absolutely going for it” and how great the Olympic Games will be for growing their business.

Nobody wants to admit uncertainty. Nobody wants to look like they’re not ambitious enough.

You can’t ask your bank. They want to lend you money. They’re not going to talk you out of taking on bigger contracts that require bigger facilities.

You can’t ask the government. They’re cheerleaders. Their job is to get as many Queensland businesses involved as possible, not to assess whether it’s right for YOUR specific situation.

You can’t even ask your business partner or spouse without it sounding like you’re not confident in your own business capabilities.

The Gut Feeling You’re Ignoring

And here’s what we are hearing constantly, from our clients and others in the construction industry and all the related industries.

“I have this gut feeling that going all-in on Olympic work isn’t right for us, but I don’t know if I’m just being too cautious. What if I hold my business back by not going for the gold?”

From our perspective, we can tell you that your gut feeling is probably right. And that it’s less about whether you’re holding your business back by not going for Olympic work, and more about whether going for Brisbane 2032 work might cause your business harm. 

Getting Expert Advice

Without an independent expert who understands construction, government procurement, and business strategy, you have no way to validate your gut instinct.

Many recent clients who’ve come to us were second-guessing themselves. They wondered if they were leaving money on the table. They questioned whether they were making an emotional decision rather than a strategic one.

We can give you the facts, just like our new clients.

Here they are. You’re not being overcautious. You’re recognising that this is a complex decision with massive implications for your business. And you know you need someone who can objectively assess whether Olympic work actually makes sense for your specific business.

That’s exactly why we created a structured approach to help businesses answer the question, “Should I bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympics work?”

Three Critical Questions Before You Bid for Olympic Work

Before you spend time and money on prequalification, tender documents, or Olympic procurement processes, get honest with yourself about three things.

Question 1: Does Olympic Work Fit What You Already Do?

This should be obvious, but it’s where I see the most businesses go wrong when deciding whether to bid for Brisbane Olympics work.

If Olympic work requires you to pivot away from your core business, that’s a massive red flag. You shouldn’t be reinventing your entire business model just to chase Olympic dollars.

The right approach: Stick to what you already do well, just at Olympic scale.

When Bidding for Olympic Work Makes Sense

If you’re a commercial electrician who specialises in large-scale projects, Olympic venues might be a natural extension. You already know how to manage big sites, coordinate with multiple trades, handle complex electrical systems, and navigate commercial client expectations. Olympic work is just more of what you’re already good at.

For businesses like this, the answer to “should I bid for Brisbane Olympics work” is probably yes.

When It Doesn’t Make Sense

But if you’re a residential sparkie thinking about pivoting to major infrastructure work? That’s not growth. That’s a completely different business with different risks, different skills, different insurance, different licensing requirements, different safety systems, different everything.

The Olympics should amplify your existing strengths, not force you to develop new capabilities under the pressure of government timelines and penalty clauses.

What Happens When Businesses Stretch Too Far

I’ve watched and studied businesses who try to stretch into Olympic work that doesn’t fit their core model. They hire new staff with different skills. They invest in new equipment they’ve never used before. They develop systems and processes from scratch while trying to deliver on tight deadlines.

It rarely ends well.

This is exactly why you need expert advice before you decide to bid for Olympic contracts.

Question 2: Can You Actually Finance Brisbane Olympics Work?

Notice I didn’t ask “do you want to finance it.” I asked can you?

Because here’s what nobody mentions at the Chamber of Commerce breakfast about Olympic opportunities.

The Real Cost of Government Olympic Contracts

Government work means:

• Payment delays of 6-9 months before you see your first dollar
• Bank guarantees and performance bonds that tie up your lending capacity
• Higher insurance requirements with higher upfront costs
• Retention clauses where they hold back a percentage of every payment (often 5-10%)
• Progress claims that take weeks to process through multiple layers of bureaucracy
• Variations that might not be approved (or paid) for months

If you’re lucky, you’ll do work for a Tier 1 Contractor who is professional and complies with all “pay when paid” laws under the Security of Payment Act. But that doesn’t help when you need to restructure your business and ramp-up to doing Olympics work at risk. Or when you need to finance business expansion, purchase of equipment, or staff training.

Do you have the cash reserves to float that? Not “would it be tight.” Do you actually have the money you need sitting in the bank right now?

This financial reality is one of the biggest factors in whether you should bid for Brisbane Olympics work.

Running The Numbers on Olympic Contracts

Let’s do the math on a hypothetical $2 million Olympic subcontract.

You’ll likely need to carry 6 months of costs before your first payment. At a 70% cost base, that’s $700,000 you need to have available. What does that $700,000 actually cover while you’re waiting to get paid?

• Wages for your team (project managers, supervisors, tradies) – $280,000
• Superannuation and payroll tax – $35,000
• Materials and supplies you need to purchase upfront – $200,000
• Subcontractor payments (you have to pay them even if you haven’t been paid yet) – $120,000
• Equipment hire or fleet costs – $25,000
• Site facilities, amenities, and safety equipment – $15,000
• Insurance premiums (higher for government work) – $12,000
• Your business overheads still running (rent, admin staff, utilities) – $13,000

That’s $700,000 in real cash you need sitting in your bank account or available through facilities, just to keep the lights on while you wait for the government, Council or the Olympics Partner or Tier 1 Contractor to process your first progress claim.

Then add 10% retention ($200,000) that you won’t see until practical completion – which might be 12-18 months away. Plus bank guarantees (typically 10% of contract value, so another $200,000 in lending capacity tied up).

That’s over $1 million in working capital and lending capacity needed for a $2 million contract.

Do you have that? Can your business genuinely support that level of financial strain while still servicing your existing clients and managing day-to-day operations?

When Winning Olympic Work Actually Means Losing

Shannon and I have both watched profitable businesses with healthy order books go under because they won exciting contracts but couldn’t survive the cash flow gap between doing the work and getting paid for it.

Winning Olympic work without the financial capacity to deliver is likely to be a delayed insolvency as your business struggles to survive.

This is why the question “should I bid for Brisbane Olympics work” needs to be answered based on your actual financial capacity, not your desire to grow your business alone.

Question 3: What Happens to Your Business After Brisbane 2032?

The Brisbane Olympic Games run for two weeks in July-August 2032. Then what?

If Olympic work represents purely one-time revenue with no ongoing legacy, you need to factor that cliff into your planning. You’re essentially building a business spike that drops off sharply in late 2032, and if you haven’t started future-planning for this cliff years beforehand, it will hit your business hard.

The Questions You Need to Answer Before You Bid

Think about these scenarios:

• Will you need to hire additional staff specifically for Olympic work?
• What happens to those employees and their families when the work dries up?
• Can you survive the resource strain if one or two  or seven of your key employees get poached with higher salaries from other Olympic contractors?
• Are you sacrificing existing client relationships for short-term Olympic contracts?
• Will the systems and capabilities you develop have any value after the Olympic closing ceremony?

The Employee Poaching Problem Nobody Talks About

The employee poaching issue is real, and it’s one of the hidden risks Shannon and I are already addressing in every Blaze Business & Legal Olympic strategy session with our clients.

Because here’s the nightmare scenario – you decide to shoot for Olympic work, but you lose half your best people to other builders paying double the salaries within the first year. 

Say your best Project Manager gets offered $50k more to work on Olympic venues. Your most experienced supervisor gets recruited by a Tier 1 contractor. Your reliable team leaders start getting LinkedIn messages from Olympic recruiters (it’s about to start happening now).

How do you compete with that if you’re not doing Olympic work? And how do you retain them if you are doing Olympic work, but it all ends in 2032 and you have no strategy for afterward?

We’ve already helped several businesses put in place 10-year Employee Retention Strategies to protect their key staff (and even all their staff) from being lured away by Olympic contractors throwing money around. This is a critical component of any Olympic strategy, regardless of whether you decide to bid for contracts or position around the boom.

When you work with us on your Olympic strategy, employee retention planning is built into our assessment and recommendations, and it’s pretty close to the top of the list.

Building a Business That Lasts Beyond the Olympics

The best Olympic opportunities aren’t just about winning work in 2032. They’re about positioning your business for sustained growth beyond the Games.

When we help our clients answer “should I bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympics work?” we’re always thinking about what happens in 2033, 2034, and beyond.

Who We Are and Why This Matters

Before we go further, you need to understand why Blaze Business & Legal is uniquely positioned to help you make this Olympic decision.

Rachelle Hare: Your Olympic Strategy Advisor

Rachelle Hare is the Principal of Blaze Business & Legal, with over 26 years of experience in construction law, major projects, and business strategy.

But here’s what makes her different:

She’s worked on all sides of the table. Tier 1 construction firms. Tier 2 contractors. Top tier private practice law firms. And critically, she’s worked inside government.

When Rachelle advises you on whether to bid for Brisbane Olympics work, she’s drawing on:

• Direct experience with government procurement processes from the inside
• Understanding of how Tier 1 contractors really operate and what they’re looking for in subbies
• Knowledge of what actually kills construction businesses (eg cash flow, not lack of work)
• Strategic advisory experience helping businesses scale from $10M to $50M+ revenue
• 6+ years as a full-time Commercial Manager

She’s not just a lawyer. She’s been a Strategic Commercial Adviser, Strategic Procurement Adviser, Compliance Manager, Strategic Risk Adviser, and Commercial Manager. She understands the business side, the legal side, and the government side, and she spins that knowledge into commercial advice that makes sense to her clients, with the ability to do “legals” from her law firm when needed.

Shannon Drew: Your Business Strategy and Strategic Financial Adviser

Shannon brings deep financial and business strategy expertise to Olympic planning. With extensive experience in business structuring, financial modelling and forecasting, and growth strategy for construction businesses, Shannon works closely with Rachelle to advise our clients on all areas of Olympic work and business structuring. He uses his skills to help you assess the real financial impact of Olympic decisions, including advising on cash flow forecasting, loan consolidation, equipment financing and restructuring of your business to get it in the best possible place. 

Shannon has been a Management Accountant for 25+ years, and a CFO and external CFO for many businesses. He can help advise if you’re deciding whether to bid for Brisbane Olympics work, or if you need someone who can model the scenarios, stress-test your cash flow, and show you the numbers that matter. 

Why Our Combined Expertise is Unique in the Market

Nobody else in Queensland (or Australia, to be honest) is combining construction law and construction industry expertise, government procurement experience, management accounting knowledge, strategic financial advisory and business strategy consulting specifically for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Everyone else is either:

• General business consultants who don’t understand construction issues
• Construction lawyers who focus on disputes, not business strategy
• Industry associations giving generic “how to bid” advice
• Government agencies promoting the Olympics (not helping you decide if you should participate)

Blaze Business & Legal are the only advisors asking “should you bid?” instead of just “how should I bid?”

We’re the only ones with the construction industry depth, government procurement knowledge, financial advisory skills, and business advisory capability to give you a real answer.

And we’re the only ones willing to tell you that for some businesses, the best Olympic strategy is to NOT chase Olympic contracts.

That’s why this matters.

The Alternative – Positioning Around Olympic Work Instead of Bidding for It

Here’s what almost nobody in the construction industry is willing to say out loud.

For many Queensland businesses, the best Olympic strategy is to NOT bid for Olympic contracts directly.

Instead, position yourself to ride the general economic boom that comes with the Olympics.

The Indirect Brisbane 2032 Opportunity

Think about it:

• More people moving to Queensland means more customers for your existing services
• Infrastructure boom means higher demand across the entire supply chain
• Property value increases mean bigger project budgets
• Population growth means more ongoing maintenance and service work
• Business expansion means more commercial fit-outs, refurbishments, and upgrades

What You Avoid by Not Bidding for Olympic Contracts

And you get all that without:

• 18-month government procurement processes
• Olympic-scale bank guarantees, performance bonds and directors’ guarantees
• Government payment terms and retention clauses plus 
• The hassle of government audits
• The risk of large liquidated damages if you’re late (nobody can afford the Olympics to be delayed, so LDs on contracts (even subcontracts) will be massive!
• The complexity of Tier 1 contractor requirements
• Multi-layer approval processes for every variation (and the extra expense of providing value for money)
• The administrative burden of government compliance

Serving The Olympic Economy Without Olympic Contracts

You can participate in the Brisbane 2032 economic opportunity without bidding for a single Olympic contract.

The site supervisor working on Olympic venues still needs a bathroom renovation. The engineers designing Olympic infrastructure still need their office fit-out. The Olympic suppliers still need regular trade services. The project managers relocating to Queensland for Olympic work need new homes, and those homes need everything from electrical to plumbing to landscaping.

Sometimes the smartest play is letting someone else deal with the complexity and risk of Olympic contracts while you serve the expanding market around it.

So when you’re asking “should I bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympics work,” consider that the answer might be “no, but I should position my business to benefit from the Olympic boom.”

The Market Gap Nobody is Filling

Here’s what we’re seeing in the Queensland construction market right now.

There’s an estimated $200 billion in Queensland Government procurement opportunities between now and 2032. The industry will need 30,000 to 40,000 extra workers annually to deliver all the planned projects.

Everyone is talking about Olympic opportunities. But nobody is talking about Olympic risks.

The Advice Gap

Most advice for Queensland businesses falls into two categories:

Government resources tell you how to register for Team Queensland, how to get prequalified, how to submit tenders. They’re cheerleaders for Olympic participation because that’s their job.

Industry consultants and business coaches give generic growth advice. They see Olympics as just another revenue opportunity without understanding the specific risks of government contracts, construction cash flow, or what happens when the work stops in 2033.

Nobody is helping businesses make the fundamental strategic decision: should you even be pursuing this work in the first place?

That’s the gap Blaze Business & Legal is filling.

Why Tier 3 Contractors Are in the Danger Zone

If you’re running a $10 million to $50 million construction business, you’re in the most dangerous position.

You’re big enough that Olympic work seems achievable. You’ve delivered large projects before. You have established relationships with Tier 1 contractors or government agencies. You can see a path to Olympic contracts.

But you’re not big enough to easily absorb:

• The financial strain of 6-9 month payment delays
• The cost of dedicated Olympic bid teams
• The risk of losing 2-3 key staff to Olympic poaching
• The operational complexity of running Olympic work alongside your core business
• The 2033 cliff when Olympic work ends abruptly

You’re exactly the type of business that could win Olympic work and regret it.

Or pass on Olympic work and position brilliantly for the economic boom around it.

The decision you make in the next 6 months could define your business for the next decade.

How Blaze Business & Legal Helps You Answer, “Should I Bid for Brisbane Olympics Work”?

At Blaze Business & Legal, we’re already working with Queensland businesses to develop realistic Olympic strategies. Some of our clients are full steam ahead on restructuring with our guidance as they prepare for Olympic contracts, and for their businesses, that’s absolutely the right move. 

Others are deliberately positioning around the Olympics without bidding on government work. 

Both can be smart strategies.

Getting Expert Advice on Your Brisbane 2032 Strategy

We’ve had conversations with business owners who were initially excited about Olympic opportunities, but after working through the numbers, the timelines, the risks, and the strategic implications, they realised the smarter play was to position differently.

We’ve also had conversations with business owners who were hesitant about Olympic work, but after properly assessing their capabilities and structuring their approach correctly, realised they were better positioned than they thought.

The key is making the decision based on your specific business, not based on what everyone else is doing or what sounds impressive at networking events.

That’s why we developed our Brisbane 2032 Olympic Strategy Sessions.

Important: Due to the depth of work required for each Olympic strategy assessment, we can only take 6 new Olympic strategy clients this month. If you’re seriously considering Olympic work, don’t wait until someone else takes your spot.

Our Fixed Price Brisbane 2032 Strategy Sessions

If you’re asking “should I bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympics work,” the best investment you can make is getting expert strategic advice before you spend money on tender documents, prequalification, or restructuring your business.

We offer three levels of strategy sessions to match where you’re at and what you need.

Strategy Session (Conversation Only) – $1,500 (ex GST)

Our entry-level option for business owners who need clarity fast.

In this 2-hour session, Shannon and Rachelle:

• Deep dive to analyse your current business structure, capabilities, and financial position
• Assess whether Olympic work genuinely fits your business model
• Analyse your actual financial capacity to handle government contracts
• Identify your realistic positioning in the Olympic supply chain
• Give you clear verbal recommendations on whether you should bid for Brisbane Olympics work
• Outline the specific next steps you should take if you decide to bid or position yourself for other opportunities

You’ll walk out of the Strategy Session with absolute clarity on whether you should bid for Brisbane Olympics work and what to do next.

Perfect for business owners who just need someone to talk it through with and give them straight advice with no bullshit.

Strategy Session + Written Summary – $3,500 (ex GST)

Everything in the conversation-only session, plus:

• A written summary of our key findings
• Clear written recommendations on your Olympic strategy
• A detailed checklist of next steps specific to your business, based on our recommendation
• Up to 2 hours of phone support for 2 weeks after the Strategy Session to answer follow-up questions

This option gives you something to refer back to, share with your business partners or accountant, and use as a roadmap going forward.

Perfect for business owners who want documentation of our advice for future reference or to share with other advisors.

Some of our clients take this summary and use it to move forwards themselves. Others (a majority) ask us to quote to help them with their next steps, and we’re happy to provide either a fixed price or a manageable monthly payment to do so.

Full Strategy Package (Comprehensive Written Report) – $7,500 (ex GST)

Our complete offering for business owners who are serious about getting their Olympic strategy right.

Everything in the previous tiers, plus:

• A comprehensive 15-20 page strategic report with recommended next steps and a clear pathway forward for your business, including:
  • Complete capability and financial assessment
  • Detailed analysis of your Olympic opportunities and risks
  • Specific recommendations with supporting rationale
  • Financial modelling for different Olympic scenarios
  • Step-by-step action plan with timelines
  • Comprehensive checklist of positive positioning opportunities

• A professional strategic document you can present to your business partners, board members, or bank when discussing Olympic strategy and financing decisions
• 48 hours turnaround for email enquiries about the report and its contents for the next week
• Up to 2 hours of phone support over the next month to review progress and answer questions

This is the option for business owners who want a comprehensive strategic document they can use to make decisions, present to banks or investors, or guide their team over the next 12-24 months.

Perfect for businesses seriously considering major Olympic contracts or significant strategic repositioning.

Why Fixed Price?

We charge fixed prices so you know exactly what you’re investing upfront. No surprises. No hourly billing that creeps up. Just focused strategic advice that could save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in mistakes.

The investment in getting this decision right is minimal compared to the cost of getting it wrong.

Take Our Free Olympic Readiness Checklist First

Before you book a strategy session, we’ve created a comprehensive checklist to help you assess whether Olympic work might make sense for your business.

What the Checklist Covers

It covers:

• Your current business capabilities and capacity
• Financial readiness and working capital capacity
• Risk tolerance and insurance positioning
• Strategic fit with your long-term business goals
• Employee retention and recruitment capabilities
• Systems and compliance requirements

The checklist will give you clarity on where you actually stand, not where you hope to be.

What To Do After You Complete It

Fill out the checklist, then give us a call to discuss booking a Brisbane 2032 Strategy Session. The checklist results will help us make the most of your two hours by focusing on the areas most relevant to your specific situation.

The checklist is genuinely useful as a standalone tool. But the reality is that completing the checklist will likely raise more questions than it answers. That will help you identify gaps in your readiness. You’ll see risks you hadn’t considered. 

You’ll realise that the Olympic decision is more complex than you thought.

That’s exactly when you need expert advice to interpret what those gaps mean for your specific business and what you should do about them.

The checklist is a qualification tool. It helps you understand if you need our help. And it helps us deliver better advice when you do engage because we’re starting from a more informed position.

If You’re Seriously Asking “Should I Bid for Brisbane Olympics Work,” Here’s What You Need to Do

Take some time to honestly think through your answers to the three questions in this article.

1. Does Olympic work genuinely fit what you already do well?

2. Can you actually finance it with your current resources and lending capacity?

3. What’s your realistic plan for after the 2032 Olympics?

If you’re uncertain about any of those answers, that’s exactly why you should talk to someone like Blaze Business & Legal, who’s helping businesses work through these Olympic decisions every day.

Olympic Opportunities Are Real, But So Are Olympic Risks

Olympic opportunities are real. But so are Olympic risks.

The worst outcome isn’t saying no to Olympic work. It’s saying yes for the wrong reasons and watching it damage everything you’ve built over years. Don’t let that be you.

The Window for Smart Decisions is Right Now

Remember that the Brisbane 2032 Procurement Program launched on 8 October 2025. The first Expression of Interest packages are out. Businesses are making Olympic decisions right now.

The companies that will win Olympic work in 2028-2030 are positioning themselves right now.

But more importantly, the companies that will thrive through the Olympic period and beyond are making smart strategic decisions now about whether Olympic work actually fits their business model.

You’re at the decision point. Can you afford not to get our advice?

Get Expert Advice on Whether You Should Bid for Brisbane Olympics Work

Ready to get clarity on your Olympic strategy?

Start by filling out our free Olympic Readiness Checklist. 

Then book the Brisbane 2032 Strategy Session that’s right for you, whether that’s just a conversation ($1,500 ex GST), a session with written summary ($3,500 ex GST), or our full strategy package with comprehensive report ($7,500).

At Blaze Business & Legal, we’re helping Queensland construction and trades businesses make smart decisions about Brisbane 2032, whether that means winning Olympic contracts or capturing the broader economic opportunity without the government contract risk.

Let’s have an honest conversation about what actually makes sense for your business.

Because the right Olympic strategy is about doing what works for you and your business.

FAQs About Bidding for Brisbane Olympics Work

1. Should I bid for Brisbane Olympics work if I’m a small business?

Size isn’t the determining factor. What matters is whether Olympic work fits your capabilities, whether you can finance it, and what happens to your business after 2032. We’ve seen small businesses perfectly positioned for Olympic work and large businesses that should avoid it. The question isn’t about size, it’s about strategic fit and financial capacity.

2. How much does it cost to bid for Olympic contracts in Queensland?

The cost varies significantly depending on the contract size and tier. You’ll need to factor in prequalification costs (often $5,000 to $25,000 for schemes like CITB, ISO certifications, and SafeWork prequalification), tender preparation costs (which can run $10,000 to $100,000 for complex bids when you include consultant fees, quantity surveyors, and legal reviews), higher insurance premiums, bank guarantees, and the opportunity cost of staff time spent on tender processes. Many businesses underestimate these costs by 50% or more.

3. What qualifications do I need to bid for Brisbane 2032 Olympic work?

Most Olympic work requires prequalification through schemes like CITB or ISO certifications. You’ll typically need appropriate licensing, comprehensive insurance, proven financial capacity, safety management systems, and a track record in similar projects. The specific requirements vary by contract type and tier level. This is exactly what we assess in our strategy sessions.

4. Can I bid for Brisbane Olympics work without previous government contract experience?

Yes, but it’s significantly harder and riskier. Government contracts have different payment terms, compliance requirements, and risk profiles than private sector work. Going straight into Olympic contracts without government experience can be really challenging. Many businesses are better positioned to work as subcontractors first or to position around the Olympic boom instead.

5. Is it too late to bid for Brisbane Olympics work in 2025?

No, it’s not too late. While some early contracts have been awarded, the majority of Olympic construction work will be tendered between 2025 and 2030. However, if you’re not already prequalified or working on your positioning, you need to move quickly. The businesses winning Olympic work in 2028 are getting ready now in 2025.

6. What are the biggest risks of bidding for Olympic contracts?

The three biggest risks are cash flow failure (from long payment delays and retention), capability stretch (taking on work outside your core expertise), and the 2033 cliff (what happens when Olympic work ends). We’ve also seen businesses damage existing client relationships, lose key staff to larger contractors, and overextend their financial capacity. These risks can be managed, but only if you’re aware of them upfront.

7. How long does the Brisbane Olympics tender process take?

For major contracts, expect 12-18 months from expression of interest to contract award. This includes prequalification (2-4 months), tender preparation (1-3 months), evaluation period (3-6 months), and contract negotiation (2-4 months). Smaller subcontracts move faster, but you should still plan for 6-12 months. This is why getting your strategy right now is critical.