Context of bidding

• Understanding the sales life cycle and how it all fits together; from opportunity tracking/pipeline, customer engagement, capture planning, competitive tendering, presentations, negotiations, contract award, implementation and delivery

Bid / proposal process

• Understand and follow a detailed proposal process from opportunity qualification/Request for Information (RFI) stage, solution development, bid resource allocation, proposal writing and development, production and submission
• Understand when to use appropriate supporting templates and procedures, ensuring necessary steps, reviews and signatories are planned prior to proposal submissions

Proposal development

• Know how to use bid software to compile electronic submissions and understand how e-portals work, including how and where electronic tenders are handled
• Understand how to assist in the dissection of a bid and identify the customer’s key requirements
• Understand the relevant customer key issues and win strategy for individual proposals/bids
• Understand a range of tools and methods to analyse a proposal e.g. SWOT analysis
• Awareness of commercial and pricing positioning and frameworks – to best describe value versus cost
• Understand the importance of contract management and the key areas for risk and mitigation of contracts
• Awareness of the importance of handling data, confidentiality, data protection, competition law and relevant business commercial policy

Knowledge management

• The importance of relevant, high quality and up to date content including case studies and evidence
• Know how and when to use sensitive and confidential information
• Maintaining relevant certificates for registrations, accreditations memberships, frameworks, records and subscriptions

Roles and responsibilities

of the bid team

• Understand the roles and responsibilities required for each bid and proposal lifecycle, including bid managers, proposal management, writers, document managers, graphics and knowledge base managers

Skill

What is required

Organisation and planning

• Excellent organisational and time management skills to manage multiple activities simultaneously and prioritise own and others’ workloads
• Ability to meet defined deadlines and set own milestones to manage workload
• Ability to create and utilise a bid plan timetable and responsibility matrix, supporting virtual team adherence to process
• Contribute to proposal project timetable including the timely collection of data from various parties including sub-contractors, consultants and internal subject experts
• Ability to meet bid submission deadlines according to guidelines / instructions
• Logging and capture of all proposal data in central repository
• Able to maintain a healthy work life balance and understand the reasons why it is important to do so
• Maintain compliance matrices to ensure compliance to all questions Capable of managing multiple projects and deadlines

Writing and editorial

• Ability to proof read with an eye for detail
• Good creative writing skills and good grammar/authoring
• Collate proposal documents using library/information stores, search engines/corporate directories
• Ability to use a range of tools, methods and search engines, to analyse and assimilate data, such as competitor analysis or customer research

Communication

• Good verbal and written communication skills, and ability to communicate professionally with colleagues at all levels of the business
• Liaise with sales/legal/finance teams and other virtual team members as necessary

Customer focus

• The importance of putting the customer first and tailoring bid documents to their needs, wants and requirements

Team working and relationship building

• Work and engage with colleagues and virtual teams, leveraging relationships and networks to support information gathering and writing
• Build relationships with colleagues and subject matter experts across the business, learning the ‘go to’ people and how to manage their input
• Build rapport and trust

Behaviour

What is required

Initiative

• A self-starter, with a desire to succeed
• Uses initiative to ensure effective workload management, deadlines and co- ordination of activities

Flexibility

• Willing to work flexibly to ensure that workload is managed effectively and deadlines are achieved

Interpersonal awareness

• Awareness of self and impact on others
• Able to work across large and virtual teams

Results focused

• A drive to win
• A desire to go the extra mile to deliver winning bids

Professionalism

• Always acts professionally and ethically, protecting confidentiality of the organisation and customers.

Innovation

• Willingness to continuously look for new and better ways of working, whilst considering the underlining best practice processes