What Does a Bid Manager Do?
The short answer to the above is a multi-tasking plate spinner.
While Bid Writing focuses on constructing responses that will pique a client’s interest and meet all their requirements within word or page limits of the bid, a Bid Manager must not only ensure the content contains all the necessary and relevant information but must also be able to successfully deliver the bid, taking full ownership of the end-to-end process.
Successful collaboration and management of multiple department key stakeholders such as the operations team, technical experts, accounts, health and safety, compliance, environmental, customer services and even company directors, is key to gathering the required information, process and data needed to answer the questions asked within the bid. This is where the multi-tasking skills come into play. All the above stakeholders are staff who have their own day jobs to deal with and may not put their input into a bid as a priority. It is the role of the Bid Manager to keep on top of these multiple stakeholders and drive responses in a timely manner.
Prior to starting the bid process, the Bid Manager will compile and gather all the required documents for a “bid-no bid” meeting to ensure all stakeholders have the information needed to make an informed decision on whether to proceed with the bid or not. The information discussed could include if the bid is financially viable, any added or social value that can be added, what Unique Selling Points (USPs) can be used to tip the balance towards a winning submission and if there is sufficient resource to both complete the bid and deliver the service required.
Key tasks of a Bid Manager can include, but are not limited to:
- Ensure Key Stakeholders are involved from the beginning.
- The Bid Manager must effectively and articulately communicate what the client is asking for to the stakeholders. This is done by reading through the documentation thoroughly, picking out keywords and phrases, and interpreting their requirements.
- Consulting with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) throughout the drafting of responses to make certain information provided is correct, true and delivered within the timeframes of the bid process.
- It is vital that was it being offered in the bid is what can realistically be delivered, especially if this is what tipped the bid in the direction of the winning submission. If it is not delivered the company will gain a reputation of not being able to deliver on its promises and being unreliable and untruthful.
- Establishing timeframes for information to be fed back to the bid writers will ensure they have the information they need with plenty of time to construct a strong response. Late feedback can result in rushed responses and/or delays in submission.
- Making sure all relevant documents such as insurance certificates and accreditations are up to date and valid.
- Out of date certificates and accreditations not only look disorganised but may make insurance invalid.
- Organising kick-off and review meetings.
- The most difficult task can be arranging times and dates of meetings where all key stakeholders can attend within a suitable timeframe to ensure the bid can be completed without rushing last minute agendas. The earlier these are organised the better to navigate any unforeseen obstacles, i.e. absence through illness.
- Drafting and reviewing responses themselves
- A good Bid Manager will roll up their sleeves and jump in as and when needed to ensure deadlines are met.
CONCLUSION
Effective time management and organisational skills are two of the most important attributes in a Bid Manager and they tend to be the “glue” that holds a bid together without individuals going off doing their own thing, or not doing what needs to be done.
Bids give an indication, not only of what an organisation can offer in terms of services, but also shows how organised and compliant they are, and demonstrates attention to detail. Bids submitted with either the wrong or missing information or failure to meet requirements will result in lost business opportunities and damaged reputations.
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Syed Hasan
Accounts Manager
We engaged Bid Writing Service to support our submission for the GMC tender, aiming to drive potential growth for our business. While we are still awaiting the final outcome, we can confidently say the service has been excellent and well worth the investment. Special thanks to Jessica, Peter, and Francesca, whose professionalism, responsiveness, and attention to detail greatly contributed to the strength of our submission. Their collaborative approach and expertise made the entire process smooth and reassuring. Highly recommended for any organisation seeking expert bid support.
Office Staff
I recently had the pleasure of working with BWS on a bid, and I wanted to share my overwhelmingly positive experience. Their expertise and guidance were truly exceptional and instrumental in our success. Throughout the entire process, BWS provided unwavering support and demonstrated an impressive depth of industry knowledge. I genuinely believe their contributions were the key to our successful bid. Without hesitation, I would wholeheartedly recommend BWS and certainly plan to collaborate with them again in the future.
Andrew Hobbs
We engaged Bid Writing Service to support us in responding to a public tender opportunity. The service provided was simply exceptional. Well organised, proactive and responsive, accurate, punctual and of course very well written. This is a quality company with some really excellent client facing members of staff. Thank you Rhiannon, Francesca, Thea, Georgia and Lauren. Brilliant first impression and thoroughly recommended !!
Joseph Palmer
We've been working with Lauren and Rhiannon at Bid Writing Service for a few months now and they have been great! They are super responsive to emails and are always there to guide/support us through the process. As soon as a tender get released that matches our industry Lauren sends it straight over even if it's an evening or weekend so we have piece of mind knowing we won't miss any tenders! Thank you Lauren & Rhiannon
Ross Nicholson
Rhiannon was very switched on when it came to giving our company advice around bid writing. She produced drafts in a swift and professional manner which was important to us when the deadline was approaching fast.
Vanessa Varoujian
Incredibly professional, responsive and dedicated. Great to have a team who take the time to get to know the business and our ethos, and understand the pressures of tender and bid writing for a small organisation.
Vinceo Ferlita
Crown ices Ltd.
One of the best companies we have worked with. From our first conversation to the completed work. Always on hand for any questions we had, very knowledgeable and timely. Would use again and would highly recommend. Thank you for your hard work and such excellent service. Crown ices Ltd.
James Barber
I can not recommend BWS highly enough. Our first call with Luke was professional and built an immediate trust in the business. Lauren then took on our project at short notice with a 48 hour turn around time. She went above and beyond to ensure it was completed on time. We are now going to have a conversation about building a bid library and them becoming our exclusive supplier.
Chris C
Lauren from BWS went above and beyond to support us with our tender on extremely short notice. Her dedication, professionalism, and willingness to assist at all hours were second to none. Lauren's expertise and responsiveness made what could have been a stressful process smooth and efficient. I cannot recommend her highly enough for anyone needing reliable and high-quality support.
GMS SERVICES LTD
We have used BWS to assist with our bid writing services. Not only does this provide us with vital resources when there are multiple tenders we want to bid for, it also provides a quality bid which is written by engaging bid writers who are interested in our business and helping us succeed. They become a part of our business. We would highly recommend their services and many thanks to George Flower who has delivered a brilliant service for us.
Andrea Gascoigne
Recently won a nice project with the help of BWS, found them easy to work with and will use again.
Barry Chapman
We used this company as part of our growth strategy, in that they, and I mean Lauren Moorhouse as their lead, created from scratch a comprehensive Bid Library. This is an excellent process to begin this new phase of our development, to gain more work and raising our branding profile. The whole system, was great to see how it grew into the formidable tool that it is, which we now have at our disposal, with an increase in our confidence to bolster our turnover.
B&E Boys
We employed BWS to assist with our bid writing and knowledge management resources. The team were always very professional and flexible in working around our schedules whilst maintaining agreed deadlines. We would recommend BWS to others who are looking for a ‘fresh set of eyes’ on any business development material. We will be working with BWS in the future.
Matt Webb
We engaged with BWS to assist with a bid on a civils project and were very pleased with the work they delivered. There was always clear communication and documents were produced within the agreed timeframes and cost. Being the first time working with a bid writing company they immediately put as at ease and gave us confidence that our submission was as strong as possible which gave us the best chance. Thanks to all the team at BWS!
Nick Heath
Compass Fuel
We dived into the world of tenders, and Lauren made the process fairly simple for novices like ourselves. Wouldnt hesitate to use their services again. Nick Heath - Compass Fuel
Josh Lownsborough
Working with Kyle has been a pleasure , He has been working weekends and evenings to get the job ready in time, His responses are superb and he is a real professional at his job. I hope we win the contract and I will certainly use Kyle again in the future
Matt
My organisation has only recently started working with BWS and we have already seen a win! The team are always professional and work around my schedule. We will continue to work with BWS for future bids, thanks BWS team!
Tracey Gordon
Excellent, efficient and professional service from Lauren & Rhiannon. Would 100% recommend and will definitely use again.
James Bell
Great service. Quick turnaround and well written bid. Fingers crossed for a successful tender outcome.
Chris Davy
We used BWS and found them very quick and efficient, well worth using and will do again
Anele Griessel
Rhiannon was friendly, listened, and clarified our questions. Thank you very much
Mirela Stefan