What is a Bid Writer?

March 11, 2020

What is a Bid Writer and how can they help your business?

A Bid Writer is vital to your company if you’re looking to break into the world of responding to solicitations.

They’re responsible for completing Invitations for Bids (IFB), Request for Proposals (RFP), and Request for Quote (RFQ). It’s necessary to complete the relevant invitation or proposal response in order to secure new contracts or funding. Particularly when applying to be a vendor to the federal government.

More organizations are now outsourcing bid writing roles to bid writing companies, such as ours. This is because some businesses don’t have the appropriate resources or time to complete the responses, which is totally understandable.

Bid Writers are essential to any organization that’s looking to grow through the world of solicitation and bidding. Solicitation is also referred to as procurement. It’s used within the business world when businesses (buyers) are looking to obtain a good or service (suppliers or vendors).

Our Bid Writers support both large corporations and small and medium-sized vendors.

Bids can sometimes take hours or even days to complete depending on the requirements the buyer is asking for. Because of this, Bid Writers have to have a specific set of skills.

Essential Skills of a Bid Writer

There are a number of skills that a Bid Writer must have to enable them to be good at their job:

  • Excellent communication

Excellent communication is key for a Bid Writer. They must be able to communicate with the client while understanding the buyer’s needs. They must be able to clearly convey to the buyer why their client is the best organization for the job at hand. Good communication skills will enable the Bid Writer to convey what’s needed from both the bid team and the client.

  • Attention to detail

Great attention to detail is required within this role. Writing bids involves a lot of proofing and industry-specific jargon. They must be able to relate the client’s business to the specification, in detail. This will enable the Bid Writer to truly excel in demonstrating why their client is best for the job.

  • Flawless time-management

Impeccable time-management is needed in order to meet multiple tight deadlines. Bid Writers are usually involved with multiple bids or proposals at the same time. Such deadlines are inflexible, so their organizational skills have to be flawless.

Research Abilities

Whenever a Bid Writer is filling out an IFB, RFQ or RFP they will need to conduct research. First-rate research abilities are another essential skill for a Bid Writer. Being able to research both your company and what exactly the buyer is looking for is what they’re good at. Such skills can help them produce the winning bid for you.

Who needs a Bid Writer?

Bid Writers are needed by almost all businesses. Whether it be a large international corporation or small and medium-sized vendors. They can also be known as RFP Writers. If you’ve got a business that you want to grow, you’ll likely need these skills.

What is a Bid Writer’s role?

So, you may wonder what is a Bid Writer? Their role is to develop winning answers and themes, ensuring your proposal stands out from your competitors. They can match your service solution to the commissioner’s needs, creating a high-quality, winning bid.

A Bid Writer can help you in a number of areas if you’re struggling with writing bids. They can:

Breaking down the bid

Thousands of bid opportunities are published every day across the U.S. It can be difficult to keep up with them all. It can be a very time-consuming and overwhelming process, particularly if going for a federal government contract.

Once the documents have been released, the Bid Writer must assess the needs of the submission. They need to make sure that the client can meet all of the requirements.

Here are four tips on how to successfully bid for work:

  1. Find the right contract opportunity

Find the right contract opportunity that you’re able to qualify for and that you’re interested in. The right contract could be private, or with the local, state, federal or municipal government.

It could be in the form of an IFB, RFP, or RFQ. Each of these solicitation methods requires the vendors to provide a different response. You must follow the guidelines and specifications when responding.

  1. Make sure you can actually fulfil the product or service needed

This might sound a little basic, but you’d be surprised how many vendors overlook this step. It would be a waste of time and money if you start writing a bid that you can’t actually deliver. Many vendors make the mistake of bidding for contracts that are out of range with the services they can provide. Trying to take on a contract that’s just too big for them to handle is simply a waste of time. If you do this, you’re just setting yourself up for failure which can be disheartening over time.

You can improve your chances of winning by bidding only on the contracts you are sure you can handle. You want to choose the opportunities that align with your business. This is better for everyone.

  1. Read the proposal guidelines

As mentioned in the step above, it is imperative that you read the solicitation documents. These will be released whenever a new bid opportunity is uploaded. They are key to helping you win and are there to help. If you follow them closely and demonstrate you know what they expect, you’ll be well on your way to success. Make sure to follow every rule of the solicitor’s submission process.

You must pay close attention to what is being requested from you as the contractor. Your response may need to include a magnitude of different things. This could include page count, price quotes, responding to specific government clauses, and so on.

It is extremely important to meet and exceed the expectations buyers provide in their requirements. Bid Writers can spot these from a mile off, making sure that your bid includes everything it needs to.

  1. Proof everything, twice

Double or triple check the closing date and time. You do not want to be late as your proposal will not be accepted. Before submitting, double-check that you have responded to every question that’s presented within the RFP, RFQ, or IFB. A good way to do this is to come up with a checklist.

A checklist could include:

  • Is this opportunity right for me?
  • Can my organization deliver on this contract?
  • Can I meet the specification documents?
  • What format is the submission – RFQ, REP, IFB?
  • Deadline of final submission – date and time
  • What additional documents need to be submitted – are there any additional accreditations or qualifications required for the contract? Do you need to create an RFP cover letter? You can download our free template.
  • Case studies – do they need to be provided? If so, how many are needed, and through what format?
  • Hit as close to the word count as possible on every question?
  • Proof everything again.

There are two sides to every story. That’s just as applicable when talking about solicitation and bid writing as it is to anything else. Hopefully, your question of ‘what is a bid writer?’ has been cleared up. The next thing to understand is what is expected of you as a client. When you’re using a Bid Writer or bid writing service, we’ll need your input.

The role of the client

  • It’s your job to know your business and industry inside and out. We never claim to be experts in any one What we do claim is that we are bid writing experts and know how to produce impressive responses.
  • As you’re an expert in your area, we need you to provide the technical details and aspects of your business.
  • You’re should provide the writer with clear and concise information and material on whatever is needed regarding the submission.
  • When a Bid Writer is writing a proposal on your behalf, they’ll need your help. You’ll need to look over the draft responses for factual accuracy.
  • As mentioned above, Bid Writers often have a lot on their plate. It would do them a huge favor if you can stick to the agreed deadlines. Whether that’s providing materials and additional documents, or a review of their response. They run a tight ship and cannot always overcompensate if you miss deadlines.

The role of the Bid Writer

  • A Bid Writer should take the time to understand the solicitation documents and specifications. They should take the time to understand what the buyer is looking for.
  • They need to clearly explain to the client what the bid process is. It’s also important that they explain the process from the perspective of the buyer as well. That way you are able to see the whole picture.
  • They must provide the client with clear advice and guidance on the best way they can meet the specification requirements.
  • A Bid Writer is expected to work collaboratively with the client throughout the process.
  • They must plan their time carefully. Time-management and organization are key.
  • They are expected to write and prepare high-quality responses that can win.

A Bid Writer and a client should, above all else, work together. Bid Writers want to help their clients win. A win for you is a win for them. This cannot be done without working collaboratively.

What is a Bid Writer? We hope we’ve helped you understand their role and how a Bid Writer can be key to growing your business. Here at Hudson Bid Writers, we’re experts in just that – bid writing. Our Bid Writers proudly hold an 87% success rate and have over 60 years of collective bid writing experience.

Our services

RFP Writing

Our RFP Writing service is the perfect solution to ensure that you submit a high-quality bid, even when you’re busy. Our RFP Writers will break down the solicitation documents, allowing you to see what the bid and the contract involves. This will help to ensure that you have all the specified evidence and meet the requirements of the contracting authority. Our RFP Writers will then craft persuasive, high-quality responses, attach supporting evidence and even submit the bid on your behalf. Upload the solicitation documents for a free quote.

RFP Mentor

Have you already written a bid but need a second pair of eyes to review your work? Our RFP Mentor service will do just that. Simply send over your bid responses and the solicitation documents. Our writers will then assess your work, ensuring that your responses are in line with the specification. They will also check for any spelling or grammar errors. You can then submit your bid with confidence. Upload your work for a free quote.

Proposal Ready

Do you need help with preparing a bid proposal? Proposal Ready can help businesses that are new to tendering or those in need of rejuvenating their content. Our Bid Consultants can offer you proposal writing services, creating:

  • 3 designed and company-branded case studies
  • 5 company branded and professionally designed resumes for key personnel
  • 1 company-branded bid proposal credentials document that can be used to respond to future RFPs.

 

All information and data on this blog site is for informational purposes only.  Hudson Outsourcing LLC make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity, of any information.  Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.  All information is provided AS IS with no warranties and confers no rights.

Hudson Outsourcing LLC will not be responsible for any material that is found at the end of the links that may be posted on this blog site. 

Because the information on this blog is based on Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s own opinion and experience, it should not be considered professional financial investment advice.  The ideas and bidding strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.  Hudson Outsourcing LLC’s thoughts and opinions will also change from time to time as the market changes and as Hudson Outsourcing LLC develops.

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