Situation
An acquisitive, US-headquartered consultancy had grown rapidly through multiple portfolio businesses. As a result, work-winning activity was fragmented, with each business unit operating independently and following different approaches to bidding.
There was no central bid library, limited reuse of case studies, and no consistent bid management methodology across the group. This siloed structure reduced efficiency and made it difficult to measure or improve bid performance at a group level.
At the same time, the Bid Director was expected to design and implement a unified Group Bid & Pursuits Strategy. However, ongoing business-as-usual bidding demands and the need to build foundational bid infrastructure significantly limited the time and capacity available to focus on strategic development.
The consultancy required a solution that could quickly add experienced bid capacity, support immediate delivery needs, and enable longer-term improvements to its work-winning approach—without significantly increasing cost.
Solution
The business rapidly established an offshore bid support team, hiring experienced bid professionals on a flexible basis to integrate with the existing bid function.
The offshore team was structured into three clear capability areas:
- Bid infrastructure development – creating a centralised bid library, standard templates, and reusable case studies
- Bid writing – providing high-quality written content to support live pursuits
- Bid management – supporting coordination, timelines, and compliance across bids
This approach allowed the Bid Director to offload delivery pressure while maintaining quality and control, creating the bandwidth needed to focus on strategic leadership and group-wide alignment.
Outcome
A team of four offshore bid professionals was hired and fully mobilised within three weeks of sign-off. The central bid library was developed, improving consistency, efficiency, and reuse across the business.
Work-winning performance became more structured, measurable, and effective, while the Bid Director successfully developed and delivered a Group Work-Winning Strategy to global stakeholders.
The offshore model delivered a 65% cost arbitrage, enabling the consultancy to scale bid capability quickly and sustainably without compromising quality.
The result was a more resilient, strategic, and scalable bid function—supporting both immediate pursuits and long-term growth.