The Cost of Outsourced Bid Writing for Public Sector Tenders

How much do outsourced Bid Writers charge?

As a rough guide, outsourced or freelance Bid Writers will charge between £450 and £750 per day.

Complex, high value and highly competitive tenders of course require more of an investment than smaller tenders, with less competition, or more compliance-based frameworks which simply take less time. A Bid Writer will work on a day rate completing a weekly time sheet or agree a fixed fee for a specific role within the bid.

Depending on the role of a Bid Writer and the complexity of the tender, they could be spending anything from a day or two, through to multiple Bid Writers working in collaboration for the duration of the tender.

Many tenders open to SME bidders are tailored as such, requiring less bid information.

What are the key factors that impact the cost of a bid writing quote?

Complexity of the Tender

We need to read the documents fully, and understand them, the scope and your solution to respond to the tender questions to the best of our ability.

Word Count/Page Count

There is, of course, a huge difference between a tender which has 5 scored questions of 500 words each (2500 words in total) compared to a bid which requires 30,000 words, plus supporting documents such as detailed case studies.

Competitiveness of the Tender, Sector and/or Opportunity

A lower value consultancy framework which may only attract 3 or 4 local SME bidders will likely (depending on the importance and the bid no bid decisions) require less refinement, challenge and therefore take less time in comparison to a Central Government high value consultancy tender, which attracts 12 highly skilled bidders.

At this level expectations are higher; your competitors will be investing more time and energy and you need to ensure a clear and effective strategy and plan.

The Amount of ‘Collateral’ You Already Have

Case studies, CVs, organisational charts, infographics, process flow charts, similar responses for more basic/standard questions which can be used as a starting point.

The higher quality, relevant information you already have in place, the less time it will take as a Bid Writer to tailor this, adding value and challenging what information you have and the relevance for this specific buyer, with their specific requirements.

Design Restrictions

Tenders which require responses to be directly copied onto a portal take away the time required to design up a full bespoke proposal document, so each requirement for design must be fully understood and taken into account.

What information will a Bid Writer need from a business?

A Bid Writer will require further information from a business to craft their bid response as effectively and accurately as possible. This information will depend on the bid requirements and the responses requested from the buyer but could include:

• Organisational information such as processes, CVs, case studies, references, points of contact;
  
  
• Details of prior experience;
  
  
• Technical information specific to the solution you offer;
  
  
• Details of any industry body certificates you may hold/ insurances which are required by the buyer;
  
  
• Added Value and Social Value information such as contract-specific innovations, third sector and supply chain involvement and engagement, apprenticeships and environmental strategies.