You’ve selected products that meet the brief. But even the right product can lose a furniture tender if its certificates don’t match the proposal.

Australian government, education and corporate tenders often ask for evidence that furniture has been independently tested. That usually means certification from a recognised independent body such as Furntech-AFRDI, the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute.

Since 1987, OLG has supported Australian resellers and fitout partners. Before submitting, check every certificate against these four questions.

1. Does the certificate name the exact product you’re proposing?

A certificate covers the product that was tested, not the whole range and not similar-looking products.

A Blue Tick for a desk frame doesn’t automatically extend to a different frame, a screen or a complete workstation configuration. The same applies to chairs: a Level 6 rating for one model says nothing about another model in the same catalogue.

What to check: the product name on the certificate matches the product name in your submission, word for word.

At OLG, for example, the Klass Height Adjustable Desk holds AFRDI Blue Tick certificate 18533/1 to AS/NZS 4442:2018, valid to May 2028.

2. Is the certificate current?

AFRDI Blue Tick certification isn’t permanent. Certified products are reassessed every three years, and suppliers agree to periodic audits in between.

A certificate that was valid when you started the tender response may have expired by the closing date.

What to check: the expiry date on the certificate falls after the tender closing date. If it’s close, ask your supplier whether renewal is under way.

3. Can it be verified independently?

Evaluators increasingly check certification claims instead of taking them at face value. Furntech-AFRDI publishes its certified products lists online, sorted by standard, so anyone can look up a product and see whether it’s listed.

What to check:

• the product appears on the Furntech-AFRDI list for the right standard
• the certificate names the standard, the product and the testing body
• the standard fits the product: desks and workstations are tested to AS/NZS 4442:2018, and office chairs to AS/NZS 4438 or AFRDI Standard 142.

A common mix-up is a tender asking for ‘Level 6 workstations’. Level 6 is an office chair rating under AS/NZS 4438. Desks aren’t rated in levels: a desk either meets AS/NZS 4442 or it doesn’t. If a tender uses this wording, it usually means the seating package.

4. Does it meet the project’s sustainability requirements?

Projects targeting Green Star or WELL often ask for environmental credentials as well as performance testing. Several schemes are in use, and they aren’t interchangeable:

• AFRDI Green Tick: Furntech-AFRDI’s sustainability certification under AFRDI Standard 150, rated Silver, Gold or Platinum
• Global GreenTag: a separate environmental and health certification
• GREENGUARD Gold: UL Solutions’ certification for low chemical emissions (VOCs), with the stricter Gold level designed for schools and healthcare
• GECA: Good Environmental Choice Australia, an independent ecolabel
• FSC: certifies that timber comes from responsibly managed forests.

What to check: which schemes the tender recognises, and that your certificate comes from one of them. Don’t assume one ‘green’ certification can stand in for another.

At OLG, the Anvil, EKO and Axis ranges are GECA certified (licence OLG-2026, valid to July 2028). Klass desking holds Global GreenTag GreenRate Level C (certificate 2981). Plantation desking uses FSC-certified timber legs, and the business operates under an ISO 14001 environmental management system. GREENGUARD Gold certification applies to chairs including Balance, Game, Logic, Adapta, Zipp, Mode and Metro.

A quick pre-submission checklist

• Every certificate names the exact product proposed
• Every certificate is valid past the tender closing date
• Every product is on the Furntech-AFRDI list for the right standard
• Environmental certificates match the schemes the tender recognises
• Warranty certificates are included for each range, plus GECA, GreenTag or GREENGUARD certificates where required

Frequently asked questions

Is Level 6 a desk rating? No. Level 6 is an office chair rating under AS/NZS 4438. Desks and workstations are certified to AS/NZS 4442:2018, which has no levels.

How do I check an AFRDI certificate? Find the product on the Furntech-AFRDI certified products list for the relevant standard, and confirm the product name and expiry date match the certificate in your submission.

Need tender documents?

OLG provides certificates, specification sheets and warranty documentation for our full range, backed by a minimum 10-year commercial warranty as standard. Your Customer Partnership Manager can pull together a document pack for your submission. Email us at info@olgoffice.com with your requirements.

Checkout our previous articles