Close×

On-demand tradie platform, hipages, has won the tender to provide the Department of Education’s School Infrastructure (SINSW) entity with local tradies for minor maintenance projects at NSW public schools.

The NSW Department of Education estimates there are approximately 25,000 opportunities to quote for work through this new streamlined procurement approach, with work valued at an estimated $50 million.

Under the agreement,  asset managers for the department’s 2,250 schools spanning primary and secondary education, will use a customised hipages app and web-based platform to seamlessly source local and trusted tradies for school maintenance related jobs, up to $10,000.  

These asset managers will enjoy the same user experience as all Australians, receiving up to three quotes from local and licensed tradies with whom they can communicate, book and pay for jobs, all through the hipages app.

Minister for Education and Early Childhood Education, Sarah Mitchell, said the system provides better opportunities for local businesses to pick up work in their area, especially regional NSW.

“We’re also making substantial savings by removing the fees for intermediaries,” she said.

“With this agreement, local tradies across NSW can engage directly and efficiently with the Department of Education for a range of smaller planned maintenance works around their local public schools.”

More than 130,000 tradies around the country are connected to hipages, across more than 270 job categories. Founded 15 years ago, hipages generates more than $2.4 billion worth of jobs for tradies annually across Australia.

Co-founder and CEO of hipages, Roby Sharon-Zipser, said the partnership will allow asset managers at these schools to save a great deal of time.

“We are dedicated to connecting Australians with trusted tradies, and a comprehensive screening process is undertaken in order for tradies to gain access to hipages,” Sharon-Zipser said.

“All tradie members must have an ABN, hold their appropriate licences, as well as pass insolvency checks and make a pledge to act with the utmost professionalism.”

 The DOE has committed to an initial three-year contract with an option for a two-year extension. 

The new platform will be fully operational early next year, following a staged roll-out and specific department additions to the current hipages platform. hipages will be developing a customised version of its platform for the Department of Education over the coming months.