Subcontractor claims against head contractors
Recovery for subcontractors and consultants owed money by head contractors on government projects — including BCISOPA-aware escalation for construction work.
Government contractors
Debt recovery for government contractors & consultants
Subcontractor claims against head contractors on government projects, and milestone delay disputes on public sector engagements, leave contractors carrying costs that should have been paid months ago. Merion recovers them professionally.
Government contracting creates a specific credit exposure that is different from private-sector work. Subcontractors and specialist consultants operating on government projects are often several layers removed from the public client — they contract to a head contractor or prime, not to the agency itself. When the head contractor holds back subcontractor payments pending their own government payment, or disputes milestone completion to extend the float on their own working capital, the subcontractor has delivered work to a government project and cannot get paid for it.
Milestone delay disputes are another persistent source of arrears. Government agencies approve milestones on their own assessment timelines, and a milestone that the contractor considers complete may sit in a review queue for weeks or months. In the meantime, the contractor has moved on to the next phase and is funding the project from its own resources. Merion recovers commercial accounts for subcontractors, specialist consultants and trade contractors operating on Commonwealth, state and local government projects. We understand the contract structures common to public sector work — head contract flow-through, milestone payment schedules, BCISOPA applicability in the construction context, and the specific documentation requirements that government contract disputes demand.
How we help
Recovery tailored to how you get paid
Milestone and completion disputes
Clear, factual handling of milestone payment disputes grounded in the contract, the deliverable and the agency's own approval records.
Government contract structures understood
Familiar with head contract flow-through, Commonwealth procurement rules and the public sector payment timelines that create subcontractor exposure.
Government work should mean reliable payment — it often doesn't
Recover subcontractor claims and milestone arrears professionally, before they compound into a write-off.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you work with subcontractors and consultants on government projects?
Yes — subcontractors, specialist consultants and trade contractors operating on Commonwealth, state and local government projects are clients we work with. Subcontractor claims against head contractors and milestone payment disputes are exactly the accounts we recover.
Does BCISOPA apply to government construction projects?
Yes — the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act applies to construction work on government projects in QLD, NSW, VIC and the ACT, subject to the specific terms of the head contract. We assess BCISOPA applicability as part of the initial account review.
What does recovery cost?
Commission-only on what we recover, agreed in writing before we start. The initial appraisal is free.
Get started
Government project claims or milestone payments outstanding?
Refer them — the appraisal is free and we understand the contract structures.