The Work Behind Winning Work: What Actually Makes a Successful Bid?
- Tahnia Miller
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Behind every major infrastructure project is a submission that convinced a client to say yes.
While the projects themselves are visible, the process of winning that work is far less understood. Bids and tenders are often seen as documents, when in reality, they’re the result of strategy, collaboration, and careful positioning long before a submission is written.
To unpack what actually goes into successful work-winning, we spoke with professionals across bid strategy, procurement governance, and tender consulting.
What do you think is the biggest factor in winning a bid?
Price
Experience & Past Projects
Relationships
Strategy & Positioning
It Starts Earlier Than You Think
One of the strongest themes across every conversation, was that winning work starts well before the tender is released.
Deborah Mazoudier, Founder and Managing Director of Tender Plus, has spent more than 25 years advising and supporting organisations across infrastructure, transport, property development, professional services, and international development to win work.
For Deborah, one of the biggest misconceptions is that tendering begins when the documents land in your inbox.
“Organisations need to recognise that they need to have a fundamental capacity in work-winning to be able to grow. They have to position themselves earlier than the tender release.”
That preparation goes far beyond simply having a proposal template ready.
This idea of early positioning is echoed from a governance and procurement perspective.
Neil Capstick is a senior commercial leader and founder of Executive Compass, has supported clients in securing more than £3 billion in public-sector contracts across infrastructure, construction, rail, nuclear and public services. Alongside his commercial career, he is undertaking doctoral research into procurement governance and social value.
Neil says organisations often focus too heavily on the mechanics of writing, rather than the strategy behind it.
“Winning bids are not primarily about writing. Writing is only the final stage of the process. The document simply reflects the quality of the strategy, planning, and operational alignment behind it.”
He adds that the strongest organisations treat tendering as a core business capability rather than a reactive process.
“The organisations that consistently perform well are the ones that engage early, maintain strong alignment between operational teams and bid specialists, and genuinely understand the buyer’s strategic objectives.”
The Biggest Mistake? Chasing the Wrong Work
Poor opportunity selection consistently undermines bids, regardless of company size or capability.
James Smith, Founder and Managing Consultant of Bid Helpdesk, has worked across bids and tenders for more than 15 years, helping organisations improve win rates, profitability, and commercial positioning. He is also the author of the MBA-level textbook Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals.
From his perspective, one of the most common mistakes happens before the tender response even begins.
“The biggest mistake is pursuing the wrong bids and tenders, opportunities where you are unlikely to win or it would be bad business if you did.”
How often does your team pursue bids you probably shouldn’t?
Almost always
Sometimes
Rarely
Never (we're disciplined)
James believes disciplined qualification is one of the most underrated parts of successful bidding, “I’m very passionate about rigorous qualification or bid/no-bid decisions.”
Deborah sees a similar pattern across the organisations she works with.
“Some organisations throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something will stick. Occasionally it will. But without a rigorous bid/no-bid process, they’re wasting resources and investment.”
Neil agrees that strategic discipline is often what separates high-performing organisations from reactive ones.
“The organisations that win regularly treat procurement as a strategic discipline rather than a reactive process.”
Understanding the Client (Not Just the Brief)
One of the clearest themes across every interview was that strong bids are built on understanding the client, rather than simply responding to requirements line-by-line.
James says too many organisations focus on products and services rather than the underlying problem the client is trying to solve.
“Customers are not just looking for products or services. They are seeking solutions. If you can understand the customer’s business problem or challenge, then you can position your services as a solution.”
Neil expands on this from the procurement side, particularly in public-sector infrastructure delivery.
“Public-sector buyers are rarely purchasing a product or service in isolation. Most major procurements are designed to achieve wider outcomes such as economic development, sustainability, resilience, or long-term public value.”
He believes leadership teams need to think more strategically about procurement objectives.
“The organisations that perform well are the ones that ask: what problem is the authority ultimately trying to solve?”
What Evaluators Are Really Looking For
While tenders can be highly technical and compliance-driven, all three experts agreed that the strongest submissions are usually the clearest.
When reviewing a submission, what do you think matters most?
Clear structure & readability
Proven experience
Innovative solutions
Lowest risk
Neil breaks evaluator priorities down into three key areas: Credibility, clarity, and risk reduction.
He explains:
“Evaluators are often reviewing dozens of submissions under significant time pressure. The strongest bids are the ones that make the evaluator’s job easier.”
That means clarity matters just as much as technical capability.
“The best bids function like a structured conversation with the evaluator. They anticipate questions and answer them proactively.”
James sees storytelling and communication as a major differentiator in complex bids.
“A bid response must be easy to read and make bold statements backed up with evidence and explanation. Too often, bid writing is seen as just words. In fact, it’s a strategic discipline.”
Beyond Price: Competing on Value
Pricing pressure will always exist in competitive tenders, but all three contributors stressed that price alone rarely wins.
James says organisations need to clearly demonstrate value, not simply compete on cost.
“To compete on value you must demonstrate that you will bring value. Customers value reliability and confidence that you can deliver for them.”
That proof comes through evidence:
“Case studies, methodologies, certifications, delivery experience, referees – your response must make a compelling case for why you are the safest and strongest choice.”
Deborah believes many organisations misunderstand how pricing is assessed.
“Price is an incredibly important element, but it is only one element of your win strategy.”
Neil also notes the growing focus on measurable outcomes and social value in procurement.
“We’re seeing a shift away from generic commitments toward measurable, place-based outcomes.”
Bids Are a Team Sport
Despite being delivered as a document, bids are fundamentally collaborative exercises involving technical, operational, commercial and leadership teams.
Deborah says organisations often struggle when they treat work-winning as separate from delivery.
“Winning work sits in the integration between technical, operational, and business development functions. You can’t treat them as separate.”
She also highlights the human dynamics involved in major bids.
“Tendering is not just the production of a document. It’s a complex group dynamic.”
What’s the biggest challenge in your bid process?
Getting input from SMEs
Time constraints
Lack of strategy
Too many stakeholders
James believes involving delivery teams early is critical.
“Engaging the project team in the development of the response gives it a strong foundation for future profitable success.”
Neil agrees that cross-functional alignment is one of the clearest indicators of mature bid capability.
“Everyone involved in delivering and selling the work needs to be coordinated and working toward the same objective.”
It’s Not Just a Document
Deborah believes one of the biggest misunderstandings in tendering is reducing it to writing alone.
“A tender needs to be strategic, compliant, and compelling, and it needs to be managed like any project.”
Neil similarly describes strong bids as “structured storytelling.”
“It’s not about marketing language. It’s about guiding the evaluator through a logical, evidence-based journey that builds confidence.”
The Fundamentals Remain
While procurement and bidding continue to evolve, the core principles remain remarkably consistent.
Neil sees three major trends shaping the future:
“Greater emphasis on measurable outcomes, increased use of AI and digital tools, and continued focus on transparency and governance.”
Deborah takes a practical view of AI’s role in the industry.
“AI can absolutely be a useful tool. But tendering is an exercise in empathy, and AI can’t empathise.”
James believes strong customer insight will remain the biggest differentiator regardless of technology.
“If you don’t deeply understand the customer, you’re just relying on generic marketing statements.”
What will have the biggest impact on bids in the next 5 years?
AI & automation
Social value requirements
Increased competition
Procurement reform
Building Capability in the Industry
As bidding becomes more strategic and sophisticated, there is growing recognition of tendering as a professional discipline in its own right.
James has contributed to this through his book, Managing Bids, Tenders and Proposals, which provides a structured framework for improving bid strategy and execution.
Deborah is also pushing for stronger education pathways within the industry. In partnership with Bond University, she developed a micro-credential in Strategic Tendering and hosts the podcast Chasing the Win, that explores the strategy, people, and the relationships that drive success in competitive pursuit and tendering.
The Bottom Line
Across every conversation, one message was consistent:
Winning work is not just about producing better documents. It’s about understanding clients better, positioning earlier, aligning teams, communicating clearly, and building genuine strategic capability.
Or as Deborah puts it:
“Start with strategy. Put your feet in the client’s shoes and adopt a client-centric mindset.”
Ultimately, the strongest bids don’t just respond to a request, they make it easy for the client to say yes.
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