diff --git a/multichain-testing/test/auto-stake-it.test.ts b/multichain-testing/test/auto-stake-it.test.ts
index e9a82de97a2..69af5caf669 100644
--- a/multichain-testing/test/auto-stake-it.test.ts
+++ b/multichain-testing/test/auto-stake-it.test.ts
@@ -25,15 +25,8 @@ test.before(async t => {
   deleteTestKeys(accounts).catch();
   const wallets = await setupTestKeys(accounts);
   t.context = { ...rest, wallets, deleteTestKeys };
-
-  t.log('bundle and install contract', contractName);
-  await t.context.deployBuilder(contractBuilder);
-  const { vstorageClient } = t.context;
-  await t.context.retryUntilCondition(
-    () => vstorageClient.queryData(`published.agoricNames.instance`),
-    res => contractName in Object.fromEntries(res),
-    `${contractName} instance is available`,
-  );
+  const { startContract } = rest;
+  await startContract(contractName, contractBuilder);
 });
 
 test.after(async t => {
diff --git a/multichain-testing/test/basic-flows.test.ts b/multichain-testing/test/basic-flows.test.ts
index f9e710c5be3..9d8d9f57e44 100644
--- a/multichain-testing/test/basic-flows.test.ts
+++ b/multichain-testing/test/basic-flows.test.ts
@@ -20,15 +20,8 @@ test.before(async t => {
   deleteTestKeys(accounts).catch();
   const wallets = await setupTestKeys(accounts);
   t.context = { ...rest, wallets, deleteTestKeys };
-
-  t.log('bundle and install contract', contractName);
-  await t.context.deployBuilder(contractBuilder);
-  const { vstorageClient } = t.context;
-  await t.context.retryUntilCondition(
-    () => vstorageClient.queryData(`published.agoricNames.instance`),
-    res => contractName in Object.fromEntries(res),
-    `${contractName} instance is available`,
-  );
+  const { startContract } = rest;
+  await startContract(contractName, contractBuilder);
 });
 
 test.after(async t => {
diff --git a/multichain-testing/test/send-anywhere.test.ts b/multichain-testing/test/send-anywhere.test.ts
index d27639c8607..54a7f0fe3cb 100644
--- a/multichain-testing/test/send-anywhere.test.ts
+++ b/multichain-testing/test/send-anywhere.test.ts
@@ -24,15 +24,8 @@ test.before(async t => {
   deleteTestKeys(accounts).catch();
   const wallets = await setupTestKeys(accounts);
   t.context = { ...rest, wallets, deleteTestKeys };
-
-  t.log('bundle and install contract', contractName);
-  await t.context.deployBuilder(contractBuilder);
-  const { vstorageClient } = t.context;
-  await t.context.retryUntilCondition(
-    () => vstorageClient.queryData(`published.agoricNames.instance`),
-    res => contractName in Object.fromEntries(res),
-    `${contractName} instance is available`,
-  );
+  const { startContract } = rest;
+  await startContract(contractName, contractBuilder);
 });
 
 test.after(async t => {
diff --git a/multichain-testing/test/support.ts b/multichain-testing/test/support.ts
index a3172eaf9ff..065c656c995 100644
--- a/multichain-testing/test/support.ts
+++ b/multichain-testing/test/support.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,33 @@ export const commonSetup = async (t: ExecutionContext) => {
   });
   const hermes = makeHermes(childProcess);
 
+  /**
+   * Starts a contract if instance not found. Takes care of installing
+   * bundles and voting on the CoreEval proposal.
+   *
+   * @param contractName name of the contract in agoricNames
+   * @param contractBuilder path to proposal builder
+   */
+  const startContract = async (
+    contractName: string,
+    contractBuilder: string,
+  ) => {
+    const { vstorageClient } = tools;
+    const instances = Object.fromEntries(
+      await vstorageClient.queryData(`published.agoricNames.instance`),
+    );
+    if (contractName in instances) {
+      return t.log('Contract found. Skipping installation...');
+    }
+    t.log('bundle and install contract', contractName);
+    await deployBuilder(contractBuilder);
+    await retryUntilCondition(
+      () => vstorageClient.queryData(`published.agoricNames.instance`),
+      res => contractName in Object.fromEntries(res),
+      `${contractName} instance is available`,
+    );
+  };
+
   return {
     useChain,
     ...tools,
@@ -69,6 +96,7 @@ export const commonSetup = async (t: ExecutionContext) => {
     retryUntilCondition,
     deployBuilder,
     hermes,
+    startContract,
   };
 };