Achieving successful outcomes with your bids and submissions

Let’s be clear on one thing: it's not luck when a professional cyclist wins a bike race by being the first over the finish line. The professional wouldn't leave it to chance.

It takes hours of hard training and preparation for a cyclist to be able to get to within the sight of the finish line and be in position to compete for that first place.

The clever cyclist will have selected a race that suits their strengths. They will have the right team-mates that help them. They will have assessed their competition and isolated their biggest rivals. They will have got their 'in-race' tactics right. Their whole strategy needs to be right, and they will apply themselves to their goal.

So, the truth is (and more often than not) the average cyclist has actually lost the race before the finish line has even appeared. And whilst competing for the win is one thing, actually achieving a successful outcome from that position is something totally different.

Similarly, you don't just achieve a successful outcome with your bid, or tender or submission at the end of a procurement process. It all starts much earlier than that: from identifying your organisations strategic goals and aligning them to your vision, to identifying the right opportunities to which you are suited, and then implementing the necessary arrangements required to enable you to compete for the win.

You need to develop a strong understanding of your market, whatever that may be.

• Which clients do we want to work with?
• What opportunities do they have?
• When are they likely to be launched?
• What’s the likely competition?
• How do you compare?
• What's involved with preparing a bid?
• How is it to be submitted?

Only following this basic level of strategic planning can you expect to be at the start of the competition “race ready” and in a position to compete for the win.

Your competitors will be... so make sure you are.

The bid submission process that follows is then approached with confidence: you know you’re the right choice for the client, you just have to present yourself through the process (and score top marks!) accordingly.

HLG Associates are a management consultancy that supports organisations involved in either the development or management of the built environment. At HLG, we have extensive experience of delivering commercial solutions and advisory services to public and private sector clients on a range of large-scale projects and programmes. We also advise on successful submissions for those contractors, sub-contractors, developers and other organisations that are looking to make a 'winning bid'.

We develop a good understanding of our clients and their requirements. This understanding can help organisations by providing an expert advisory service when making submissions, including:

1. Reviewing a future opportunity or series of opportunities, appraising your likely suitability, and future bid needs.
2. Developing your bid strategy, including 'storyboarding' and assembling ‘straw man’ responses.
3. Reviewing and scoring draft submissions, at both qualifying and bidding stages.
4. Advising on commercial bid strategy, and aligning this to the likely scoring of technical elements.

HLG are able to deliver a tailored service that works either remotely or in-office / in-person (working alongside your team to develop / refine the submissions). All opportunities to work together will be subject of course to appropriate conflict of interest checks and the provision of non-disclosure or confidentiality undertakings.

Using HLG as an independent organisation to prepare or review successful submissions can help you in several ways.

1. We are not your employees: we are your critical friends. We can be very objective and unencumbered with the feedback we provide (after all, it’s better hearing it from us, than a client when you’re unsuccessful with your submission!).
2. We are focused solely on you: and the process, your submission, your strengths and how you can best communicate them to your future client. We're less concerned with what's happening in your workplace... it's presenting you as the number one choice among your competition that we're interested in.
3. We are flexible to adapt to your requirements. We will respond with as much or as little support as you need, and will provide our services to meet your client’s timescales. We work remotely or in-person. We will lead, or can support you by following your lead.

After all… more hands do make light work, don’t they?

I hope to see you at the finish line (although if you do want to get in touch and ensure HLG are there with you in first place, I'd love to hear from you on [email protected]).