Successful Relationships don’t start when you sign the contract, they start when you first engage in a bid or selection process together.

The term ‘bid process’ is used here to describe the formal selection process. It covers both the buyer and seller processes: issuing invitation documents (e.g. Expression of Interest, Request for Proposal), the written proposal that responds, and all of the associated presentation and discussion interactions that support selection.

The Buyer processes cover:

• Deciding the prefered relationship structure and contractual arrangements
• Developing a process and timeline, including allowance for any early engagement
• Preparing clear tender documents, so that sellers can easily understand what is required; thereby ensuring proposals meet buyer specifications
• Ensuring the evaluation team is well briefed and the process is robust
• Managing all written and verbal interaction in a fair and appropriate manner.

The Seller processes include:

• A robust bid/ no bid decision, that reflects the strategic intent and assesses the probability of winning
• Clear bid strategies and win themes, to demonstrate understanding of the buyer needs and the sellers unique ability to deliver these
• Ensuring clarity about client needs, specification and hot buttons, and presenting this explicitly in all documentation
• Presentations and interactive discussions reflecting the bid win themes
• Post-bid review and learning, from successful and unsuccessful bids.

Our team has expertise in all areas of the bid engagement process and can provide support pre, during and post-bid and selection processes.

The approach and methods we use are best practice, and we will fulfill the role of advisor, facilitator, member of the team doing the work (eg writing documents) and/or project manager.