Bid writing services
A professional bid writer takes the tender off your desk and gives you back a submission that scores. You bring the expertise and the evidence; we bring the structure, the writing and the evaluator’s eye.
What a bid writer actually does
Good bid writing is mostly not writing. Before a sentence is drafted, your bid writer reads every tender document, maps each question to its weighting, and builds an answer plan: the points to make, the evidence to attach, the win themes to repeat. Only then does drafting start — which is why the result reads like a considered argument rather than a brochure.
On a typical engagement we:
- Run a kick-off call to agree the win strategy, deadlines and who we need to speak to
- Interview your subject experts — short, focused calls, not homework
- Draft every quality response against the published scoring criteria
- Build or sharpen the supporting evidence: case studies, CVs, KPIs, policies
- Edit the whole submission into one consistent, plain-English voice
- Run a final compliance check and support the portal upload
Writing to score, not to impress
Evaluators mark against a framework, typically awarding marks for how fully and confidently each requirement is addressed. A response full of adjectives but light on specifics sits at the middle of the scale; full marks go to answers that are relevant, evidenced and complete. So we write the way markers read: a direct answer first, the method second, the proof third. If you want to see the approach in detail, our guide to writing a winning bid walks through it step by step.
What’s included
- Answer plans for every scored question
- All quality / technical responses drafted
- Method statements and delivery plans
- Case studies written up from your projects
- Social value responses
- Executive summary
- Two structured review rounds
- Compliance matrix and final check
- Portal submission support
- Post-result feedback session
Our process
Free review and fixed quote
Send the tender documents. Within one working day we confirm whether it’s winnable for you and quote a fixed fee — no hourly surprises.
Kick-off and answer planning
One call to agree the win themes; then we plan every answer and share the plans for sign-off before drafting.
Drafting with your experts
We interview the people who actually deliver the work and turn their knowledge into scored answers. Drafts arrive in batches, not all at the deadline.
Review rounds
You comment, we refine. Two structured rounds are built into every quote; most bids need no more.
Final polish and submission
Consistency edit, compliance check, formatting and upload. Then a short wash-up when the result lands — including a debrief review if you don’t win.
Pricing
Fixed fees are quoted per tender once we’ve seen the documents, so the price reflects the real workload — the number of scored questions, word counts and evidence required. Businesses bidding monthly usually prefer a day rate or retainer, which also covers smaller jobs like selection questionnaires and clarification responses. Either way, the cost is agreed in writing before work starts.
Who we write for
Most clients are SMEs and mid-size firms bidding for public contracts — from construction firms pricing framework work to cleaning and soft FM providers, technology suppliers and charities tendering for service contracts. The subject matter changes; the discipline doesn’t.
Related services
If the bid is large and multi-contributor, add a dedicated bid manager. If you’ve already drafted a response, a structured critique is faster and cheaper. And if the opportunity is a framework rather than a single contract, start with our framework application service.
The free bid review: the honest way to start
Almost every relationship we build starts the same way — with a free review of a tender or a past bid, and a straight answer. It costs you nothing and tells you more than any sales pitch could: send your last unsuccessful submission with the buyer’s feedback, and a bid writer reads it the way an evaluator would, then calls you with a candid view on where the marks went, what to fix first, and whether professional support would genuinely pay for itself on your kind of work. Sometimes the answer is that your bids are closer than you think and a light touch would tip them; sometimes it’s that a structural problem needs solving first. Either way you get something useful, and we get the chance to show how we think rather than just claiming we’re good. The quality of that free review is the best evidence of what a paid engagement would look like.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a typical bid take?
Two to three weeks is comfortable for a single-lot tender with five to ten scored questions. We can move faster — we regularly deliver inside ten working days — but more runway means more interview time with your experts, which is where quality comes from.
How much of our time will you need?
Plan for two to four hours across the project: a kick-off call, one or two expert interviews, and your review of drafts. We deliberately keep the burden on us, not you.
Will the bid sound like us?
Yes. We write from interviews with your people and your real delivery evidence, then edit into a single voice. Clients usually say it sounds like them on their best day.
What if we don’t have policies or case studies?
That’s common for first-time bidders. We’ll tell you exactly what’s missing at the review stage, help you prioritise what to create, and write case studies up from project records you already hold.
Can you write our whole answer library?
Yes — for regular bidders we build a maintained library of model answers, case studies and policies, which cuts the cost and turnaround of every future bid. Ask about this when we quote.