Work Order and Agreement
Winning is not the finish line. Several things have to happen in a fixed order before you can start, and each has a deadline.
The sequence after you win
Letter of acceptance
The department confirms your bid is accepted. The clock on everything else starts here, not when you feel ready.
Performance guarantee
Furnished within the time stated, in the department's own format. A guarantee in the wrong wording gets rejected and delays the agreement.
Agreement execution
Signed on the prescribed stamp paper. Read what you are signing - the conditions here govern the next two years, and they are not always identical to the tender document.
Site handover
The department hands over the site. Record the date and the condition in writing, because a delayed or partial handover is one of the strongest grounds for extension of time later.
Commencement
The contract period runs from the date the agreement specifies, which may not be the date you actually started.
What to do on day one
- Write down the site handover date and what was actually handed over. If it was partial, say so in writing that week.
- Note the contract completion date and work backwards. Extension applications have their own deadlines.
- Diary the performance guarantee expiry. An expired guarantee mid-contract is a default in itself.
- Keep every instruction in writing. Verbal site instructions are the single biggest cause of unpaid extra work.
- Read the price adjustment clause now, not when material prices move.
Written 5 September 2026. Government requirements and portal behaviour change — message us to confirm before you rely on any date or figure here.
Common questions
Send us your case
Send us the acceptance letter and the tender document. We will tell you what is due, in what order, and by when.
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