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Commercial support is paid for up front, then carried as a project cost once the work is running. Day rates, project fees and retainers are quoted against the specific engagement, because a published number sets a ceiling on the conversation rather than starting one.
Upfront commercial support
Estimating, tendering and the commercial work that has to happen before there is a contract to charge against.
Mobilisation and delivery
Subcontract packaging, contract administration and commercial oversight through the build.
From variations to close
Claims, variations, final account, acquittal reporting and contract close-out.
Either side of the same contract. We work for the principal verifying what is claimed, or for a contractor making sure the claim is done once, and done right. Conflicts are declared and managed in writing before work starts.
The choice before award
Upfront commercial support is the one stage paid for outside the project. There are two ways to carry it, and the choice is made in writing before any work starts.
Fee-for-service
A fixed fee against a defined deliverable list, with a capped number of hours. Payable whether or not the tender succeeds — the work is done either way.
Fee-at-award
The same scope, contingent on winning the work. Nothing is payable if the tender is unsuccessful. On award the fee is costed into the tender price as a preliminaries item.
What upfront support covers
Defined by deliverable rather than activity, so there is no argument later about what was included.
- Pricing review and rate validation
- Preliminaries and on-cost build
- Subcontractor and supplier sourcing
- Participation plan preparation (WAIPS / APP)
- Commercial response and schedules
- Departures schedule and qualifications
- One review cycle of the completed submission
Addenda included up to an agreed number; beyond that a fee variation applies. Best-and-final-offer rounds and post-tender negotiation are quoted separately. One fee covers one tender for one project — not one client, and not a panel submission spanning multiple projects.
The hours cap, and how it is handled
Upfront support carries a capped number of hours. Nausicaa notifies the client in writing when 80% of the cap has been consumed. Beyond the cap, work continues only where the client agrees in writing — either to a fee variation or to an hourly rate. No client receives an invoice for hours they did not approve.
After award, it is a project cost
Mobilisation, delivery and the run through to contract close are costed into the tender as a preliminaries item and funded through the rates. The cost of commercial management belongs in the price of the job, not in the business owner's pocket.
Continuing is the default. On award the engagement continues as ongoing commercial management for the duration of the contract, on a monthly fee with a minimum term. Where a client elects not to continue, a one-off buy-out fee applies in its place — that is what declining the ongoing engagement costs, not a cheaper alternative to it.
Models for contractors, principals and head contractors
Buy-side engagements run on the same three stages. These are the shapes they usually take.
| Model | Application | How it is priced |
|---|---|---|
| Per-project contract administration | Contractor-side administration for a defined project, from award through to close-out. | Monthly fee across the programme, or priced against contract value. Not a day rate — the incentive is resolution, not hours. Multiple concurrent projects supported. |
| Superintendent's Representative appointment | Appointment under AS4000, AS2124 or equivalent, carrying the duty to act honestly and impartially in certification and valuation. | Monthly fee, higher than contractor-side administration, reflecting the impartiality duty and the professional indemnity exposure that attaches to certification. |
| Fixed-fee packages | Market sounding, rate build, participation plan, subcontractor pre-qualification, on-ground scoping and requirements review. | Fixed price agreed before work begins, against a defined scope, deliverable and turnaround. Scope changes are quoted as variations. |
| Standing retainer | Embedded commercial support for contractors with continuing Kimberley activity — claim management, subcontract oversight, market intelligence. | Monthly retainer covering a defined scope of recurring work. Provides priority access and continuity across projects. |
Day and hourly rates
Applies to supervision, site attendance, expert review and discrete short-form assignments. A day or hourly rate and any minimum commitment are agreed after a discussion about the project and its scope. Client travel and accommodation is recovered as a disbursement at cost — not marked up. GST applies to all fees. Nausicaa accepts no commission, referral fee or rebate from any party it recommends or assesses.
Fee schedule on enquiry
Project, retainer and fixed-fee amounts depend on complexity, duration, contract value and role. To receive a fee schedule or a fixed-fee proposal, send a brief description of the works, the contract standard in use, and the programme. A written conflict check is run before any engagement is accepted.
Request a fee scheduleCalculate your indicative project savings.
Set your own assumptions — contract value, expected variation volume, the Kimberley procurement premium you’d allow — and see the indicative ranges move. Every result shows its workings.
Calculate your indicative project savings
Indicative only — not a quote, a forecast, or a guarantee of savings.
What to include in your enquiry
The more context provided, the more accurate the proposal. The contact form asks for project stage, location, contract value, duration, the contract standard in use and the role required — filling those in is enough to get a fee schedule back.