In the 25 years BiD Masters has been involved in business development, the bid and proposal preparation has burgeoned from a niche activity to a recognised profession. Over that period, though, appropriate training has not kept pace. Certifications are available, but they’re for people who already deliver within the profession. What about newcomers? Many companies recruit bid writers or bid managers but they don’t have the facility to train them. Even the job specifications tend to be a bit woolly…

You’ve nailed the first draft of your proposal. Now what? Here are five ways you can instantly improve the focus and flow of your documents, whether it’s a PQQ or an ITT/RFP, making your response clearer and cleaner before you submit it for internal review. 1. Have you answered the question? Go back to the question and read it over again. Why is the customer asking this specific question? What are their priorities? Have you actually answered the question? All…

The furlough scheme in the UK has given employers breathing space, but with an end in sight, as reported in The Guardian (here) recently, the unemployment outlook is grim. And the UK is not alone. Countries from the United States to Australia and Japan to Portugal are all struggling to address unemployment in the post-pandemic world. At the same time, travel restrictions and lockdowns have given people time to think – with many considering their options. What coronavirus has taught…

In the Rough Guide to the Bid and Proposal Profession, we found a name for the people who work in a bid team: bidmasters. But what is it that bidmasters do? It seems there is no generic noun that encompasses all of the activities within the bidmasters profession.   Where do other professions find a noun? Looking at other professions, there appears to be a number of ways the noun for each is derived. The most common is to revise the…

The bid and proposal profession is shrouded in mystery for those who haven’t been part of it. Many people are unaware of the profession and at times, it seems the jargon – PQQ, ITT, ITN, to name a few of the acronyms ­– is designed to confuse. Despite this, bid professionals play an important role within the procurement function for organisations, with their efforts contributing towards winning millions of pounds’ worth of business, as well as assisting in securing investment…

The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) was launched in December 2016 with the aim of identifying and funding innovations that support UK defence and security. In its first 12 months it received over 700 proposals and provided funding to 147. On the face of it this is encouraging for many in the aerospace, defence, and technology sectors, but accessing this funding can remain a challenge. The MOD has restated its commitment to increase the amount of money it spends with…