Since joining Executive Compass in 2022, Alley, Ciaran, Jade, James, Rachel Fairhurst and Rachel Wright have supported with hundreds of bid and tender opportunities, resulting in dozens of key contract wins on behalf of our clients.
We catch up with each of them below as they share their day-to-day life in the bid and tender writing sector, in addition to some of their favourite things about the role.
Tell us about yourself – what did you do prior to joining Executive Compass?
Rachel Wright: ‘Before joining Executive Compass, I completed a BA (Hons) English and MSc Speech and Language Sciences.
I spent several years working as a community paediatric speech and language therapist in a range of educational and healthcare settings, supporting children and young people with communication difficulties and/or dysphagia (eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties).
I then spent four years working for a national dementia charity, leading a team of volunteers and account-managing individual and corporate partnerships and writing grant applications.’
Ciaran: ‘Prior to starting at Executive Compass, I studied for a BA (Hons) History and Politics at the University of York and an MSc in Global Politics at Durham University.
I also spent several years in client-facing and customer service roles, in addition to working in administration at a university, giving valuable experience in managing and liaising with clients.’
What bids are you working on at the moment?
James: ‘Currently, I am supporting clients with the following bids:
- An asbestos removal company tender for two contracts, involving remedial works in domestic properties, commercial sites, schools and museums.
- A care and support provider tender for two supported living contracts, where they will deliver both care services and housing provision.
- A care and support provider tender for an extra care contract, which will involve them providing 24/7 support at two extra care schemes.
- A forestry contractor tender for a tree planting contract at a university.’
Jade: ‘I’m working on bids for four different clients at the moment, including:
- A client in the construction supply industry, providing building and plumbing materials to local authorities.
- A client in the fire safety industry, supporting housing associations to make their properties safer and maintain compliance with legislation.
- An asbestos surveyor, responsible for inspecting and monitoring asbestos containing materials throughout East England.
- A mental health support charity, providing suicide prevention support in Scotland to improve the wellbeing of local communities.’
Can you tell us the most interesting thing you have learned as a bid writer?
Alley: ‘I’ve learned about the health and social care sector in the UK – and the differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of care commissioning and regulation.
This is really interesting as the dual focus on providing high-quality care whilst reducing over-stretched health and social care budgets forces providers (and bid writers!) to identify creative and innovative solutions.
Learning about some of those solutions – like using AI to monitor how health conditions change – has been fascinating and useful to apply when writing care bids.’
Jade: ‘One of the most interesting things I have learned as a bid writer was actually early in my career at Executive Compass, when we were being trained on the difference between different sectors.
For more technical bids, e.g. those in construction, authorities tend to prefer clear, concise, factual language, which ‘gets straight to the point’. For more support-oriented bids, e.g. regarding care, they prefer more expressive language, allowing them to see the personality of the applying company.
For example, when writing my current project for a mental health support charity, the tender specification mentions bidders should be kind, jolly, compassionate and understanding; I therefore used more emotive language in this bid, which I would otherwise not use in a technical tender.’
Bid writing tips and tricks
Rachel Fairhurst: ‘A strong writing tip for bid proposals is to be clear and concise. Avoid jargon and overly complex language. Instead, use straightforward, impactful sentences that get your message across quickly.
Ensure every sentence adds value and supports your key points – this keeps the reader engaged and ensures they understand your offer without unnecessary confusion.
A well-structured, easy-to-read proposal is far more likely to stand out in a competitive environment.’
Alley: ‘Completing challenging responses on previous submissions has supported me in tackling complex, technical tender responses, whilst also ensuring my strongest work can be consulted again and again as a guide on what makes a persuasive and competitive tender.
From my time in training, I always remember the importance of balancing information received from the client against other sources, such as the contract specification, national regulatory bodies – like CQC and HSE – and my colleagues, to ensure what I’m writing answers the tender question directly and effectively.’
What is your favourite thing about working at Executive Compass?
James: ‘My favourite thing about working at Executive Compass is having a supportive team of bid writing colleagues, reviewers and bid managers who are always available to provide advice and guidance. Our office’s productive yet jolly atmosphere enhances collaboration and problem-solving.
If a question is worded in an unusual way, it is useful to hear a colleague’s interpretation of what it is asking and their perspective on how it should be approached, enabling top scores to be achieved for responses.’
Alley: ‘We have a lovely team of staff at Executive Compass and I’ve made some great friends since starting two years ago. I love the flexibility of working from home, but it’s also always fun to meet up with colleagues at social events like our summer barbecue!’
Jade: ‘My favourite part of working for Executive Compass is the opportunity to create compelling narratives, using data and case studies to my advantage to create a compelling response.
This is complemented by the culture of this particular company – all my colleagues are incredibly friendly, supportive and eager to help, making even challenging bids easier to manage.’
Bid and tender support
As more experienced members of the team, all six have made valuable contributions over the past two years, and now provide guidance and support on tender submissions for more junior members. Ciaran has transitioned into the business’s sales and marketing team, supporting with enquiries and quotations for bid writing and review support, whereas Rachel Wright is going on maternity leave to welcome a new member of the family. Other team members, including Jade and Rachel Fairhurst, have taken over key roles in supporting our clients bidding the most frequently.
To find out more about our bid and tender services, our sales and marketing team are contactable at info@executivecompass.co.uk or 0800 612 5563.