Choosing Public Sector Bid Consultants

Why Use a Public Sector Bid Consultant?

You will see an immediate increase in technical scoring and tender wins

A good bid consultant will boost the quality of your technical response and can give you guidance on your pricing. With this you should expect an immediate and positive impact on your tender scoring and win rate.

You will build your knowledge of public procurement and successful bids

One of the reasons for poor bids is that you don’t understand what the buyer is asking for or why they are asking for it. A good bid consultant will give you a good understanding of the buyer’s perspective, so that in future you are a better able to meet their needs. They will also develop your understanding of the public procurement process and its pitfalls.

You will increase your understanding of public sector culture, hot buttons and risk appetite

One of the soft barriers to entry that new government contractors face is that they don’t understand the uk public sector culture, and therefore propose solutions that are acceptable in the private sector but aren’t in the public sector. A good bid consultant will explain why public sector clients are (relatively) risk averse, as well as what they really want to see and how to prove your credibility.

Why Not Use a Public Sector Bid Consultant?

“They are too expensive”

The price of a few days of a public sector bid consultant’s time is marginal compared to the value of the contract.  Our charges are a tiny fraction of the contract value.

“We can do it ourselves”

If you are repeatedly winning public sector tenders and have a very high hit rate, then you don’t need a public sector bid consultant. But if you aren’t in that position and want to develop, then perhaps you do need help to develop the skillsets and practices to consistently bid successfully. 

"We don’t have time”

This is a sign that your bid process is not as well structured as it could be and a good a public sector bid consultant can help you plan your bid to make time for review and development. Otherwise you should expect a good bid consultant to make time to support you and to work around you, for instance working over weekends.

How to choose a public sector bid consultant

They must have detailed knowledge of public sector procurement. It is not the same as the private sector and using private sector tactics like win themes and differentiators is simply a waste of your limited space in public sector tenders to respond.  

They must be flexible. A good public sector bid consultant must work around you as the client and if that means working over weekends or in the evenings to get a good bid in then so be it. Similarly they must be flexible in responding and understand that bid preparation needs to fit in with working life. To quote the military maxim “no plan survives contact with the enemy”.

They must seek to build your skills. They should openly share their skills and understanding with you, so that your public sector bidding skills are built over time and ultimately you learn to prepare winning public sector bids yourself