Work on a new North Queensland stadium has moved a step closer after the State Government announced a shortlist for design companies.

Four design companies have been named in the tender process for new 25,000-capacity stadium, all pledging to include local a host of Townsville businesses as part of their submission.

BVN Architecture, Cox Architecture, Hassell and Populous were the four successful companies, each with large-scale operations and experience in stadium construction.

The successful tenderer will be appointed before the end of the year, with local businesses urged to continue pursuing expressions of interest for different stages of the product.