Development · Construction · Intelligence

Built by people
who've delivered.
Not just advised.

Contender Group is a boutique advisory practice operating across the full development lifecycle — from first feasibility number to final defect. We bring real project experience to every engagement — advice grounded in what actually happens on the ground, not what looks good in a report.

NSW-wideOperating footprint
3Core disciplines
End-to-endLifecycle coverage
Practitioner-ledAdvisory model
What we bring to every engagement
01
Principal-side experience
We've run sites, chaired project boards and managed construction contracts — not just advised on them.
02
Boutique by design
A deliberately limited client roster. Senior attention on every engagement, from start to finish.
03
Full lifecycle coverage
From first feasibility number to final defect — the same senior people throughout.
04
Genuinely independent
We work for principals. No conflicts, no competing interests at the table.
About Contender Group

Most advisory firms sit on one side of the table.

We sit across the whole project. Contender Group is built by practitioners — people who have run sites, managed construction contracts, chaired project boards and structured deals. Our advice is grounded in what actually happens on the ground, not what looks good in a report.

01
Practitioner-led
Our team has held principal, contractor and project management roles on major NSW projects. We speak every language at the table.
02
Boutique by design
We deliberately limit our client roster. Every engagement gets senior attention — not a team of grads with a partner who appears at presentations.
03
Technology-backed
Vantage, our proprietary intelligence platform, gives every client institutional-grade feasibility analysis and construction cost generation.
04
Aligned interests
We operate across the development-construction interface. We understand what the other party actually needs — and how to get deals done.
"The best advisors we've worked with had run projects themselves. That's the standard we hold ourselves to at Contender."
Contender Group — Our Founding Principle
NSW-wideOperating footprint
3+Core disciplines
Full.Lifecycle coverage
Day 1To final defect
What We Do

Three disciplines.
One integrated practice.

Whether you're assessing a site, managing a project through design and delivery, or structuring an investment — Contender Group operates across the full development lifecycle.

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Development Advisory

From site identification through to planning approval — independent, experienced advisory that protects your position and maximises your return.

  • Feasibility analysis and financial modelling
  • Site acquisition due diligence
  • Planning strategy and DA management
  • Development structure and risk allocation
  • Consultant team assembly and briefing
  • Vantage Rapid & Pro — feasibility and cost modelling
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Construction Management

Project delivery advisory from procurement through to completion. We manage the interface between principals and contractors — and we understand both sides.

  • Procurement strategy and tender management
  • Contract review and risk identification
  • Principal's representative services
  • Programme and cost monitoring
  • Dispute resolution and claims management
  • Defects management and OC coordination
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Investment Advisory

Independent analysis for investors, funds and financiers who need to understand a project's real risk profile — not just what the developer's feasibility says.

  • Independent feasibility review and stress testing
  • Construction cost benchmarking and validation
  • Market positioning and revenue analysis
  • Risk identification across the capital stack
  • Presales strategy and velocity modelling
  • Ongoing project monitoring for lenders
How We Work

The full lifecycle,
properly covered.

We don't parachute in at one stage and leave. Contender engagements follow the project from initial analysis through to delivery — with the same senior people throughout.

Phase 01
Acquisition & Feasibility
Site identification, feasibility modelling via Vantage, independent review of vendor feasibilities, due diligence coordination, offer structuring. We'll give you the number before you bid — and tell you whether it holds up under stress.
Phase 02
Planning & Design
DA strategy, consultant team assembly, design review against feasibility assumptions, council negotiation, VPA structuring. We protect the return through the planning phase — where most value erosion happens.
Phase 03
Procurement & Contract
Builder selection strategy, tender management, contract negotiation, construction cost benchmarking via Vantage Cost. We've sat on both sides of this table and know what a good contract looks like — and what a bad one costs.
Phase 04
Delivery & Close-out
Programme monitoring, cost reporting, claims management, defects coordination, OC and settlement management. We stay in until the project is closed — not until it's convenient to leave.
The Team

Practitioners first.
Advisors second.

Every person at Contender Group has held delivery roles — not just advisory ones.

AA
Alex Allan
Founder & Principal

Alex brings senior principal-side experience across residential and mixed-use development in NSW — from site acquisition and feasibility through to procurement, contract negotiation and delivery. He has held project leadership roles across major NSW development programs, operating across both the developer and construction interfaces. Contender Group is built on the conviction that the best advisory comes from people who have actually delivered.

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Building the team
Development & Construction

Contender Group is selectively building its team. We're looking for practitioners with genuine delivery experience across development advisory, construction management, or investment analysis in NSW.

Contender: Vantage

Our intelligence platform.
Your competitive advantage.

Vantage is built by developers, for developers. Two models — Vantage Rapid for fast decisions and Vantage Pro for full analysis — backed by AI-powered risk assessment and a deal history that compounds over time.

Vantage Rapid
Full apartment feasibility in under 5 minutes. 9 Sydney catchments, dynamic benchmarks, parking logic and AI verdict. The go/no-go before you bid.
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Vantage Pro
Full development model — trade-level construction costs, detailed soft cost build-up, IRR, RLV and AI-generated report. Built for the engagement, not the quick look.
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Deal History
Every run saved across both models. Projects tracked. Compare scenarios, retrieve AI reports and build a market intelligence asset that compounds over time.
Explore Vantage Request access
Get in Touch

Let's talk about
your project.

We take on a small number of engagements at any time. If you're working on something and want an independent view — from a team that has actually delivered projects — we'd like to hear from you.

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Location
Sydney, NSW — operating across NSW
Vantage Platform