Our sectors

The majority of our clients operate in the following major sectors:

While we may not be subject matter experts in aerospace and defence, our teams have specialised knowledge in this area and always align our experience to meet our clients' needs and market demands. Many of our team hold SC level security clearance and Strategic Proposals has BPSS status. We work with clients who are bidding for work for government space and defence programmes. We’re training their bid and campaign leaders, plus subject matter experts. We also help supplement pursuit teams with our experts and collaborate as they chase complex and large-scale contracts.

Despite having some of the largest and most complex deals out there, according to the Proposal Benchmarker™, this sector has the lowest levels of bidding capabilities versus each of the other main ones. Perhaps that’s the challenge – it’s typically very complex, with long lead times, and requires big teams. Of course, procurement here is often extremely regimented – but there’s perhaps something there’s an opportunity for aerospace and defence contractors to embrace new ways of working, breaking out from the echo chamber and learning from other sectors – as the bidding profession has from them in times past?

Understanding the nuances of bidding in the construction and engineering sector is crucial. Our teams are well-versed in the specific requirements and challenges of this industry, up and down the supply chain. As a result, we work with architects, builders, designers, engineers, prime contractors, real estate agencies, suppliers, and so on. We help them to win by deploying our experts into our client’s teams to on specific campaigns and bids. We help them to develop their own ability to win by benchmarking and developing their capabilities. We run on-going learning and development programmes – often targeting upskilling the large numbers of subject matter experts who need to contribute to proposals: from quantity surveyors, to project managers, lead engineers to health & safety managers.

According to the Proposal Benchmarker™, the construction sector is ranked fifth and the property sector, second versus all of the sectors. So, there’s some star performers certainly in this sector. Many of whom we have the pleasure of working with. The opportunity to use design to show the end product in submissions gives some organisations a real edge here. But there are still challenges with a reliance on subject matter experts who’ve not had training in proposal writing. Improving on capture is the next bid step for those in this sector.

The financial services sector requires a deep understanding of regulatory and compliance issues. Our teams specialise in this area and tailor our approach to fit the unique needs of our clients. We collaborate with a diverse array of organisations within financial services, including insurers, underwriters, wealth managers, asset managers, banks, and more.

The financial services sector is typically not a high performer when compared with to organisations from other sectors. That’s according to those financial services organisations that have used the Proposal Benchmarker™. Why is this sector behind others such as health, IT, construction, property, transport, professional services? The sector faces significant challenges in winning due to its highly competitive market, stringent regulatory demands, and the intricate and detailed requirements that must be met. Additionally, the rapid pace of change, including the adoption of new technologies, further complicates the landscape, making it essential for organisations to navigate these complexities to win.

The healthcare sector is complex and ever evolving, requiring specialised knowledge and a nuanced approach. Our teams are adept at navigating the intricacies of healthcare regulations, compliance, and patient care standards. We work with private and public sector organisations who are primarily bidding in to the NHS. We train subject matter experts on proposal writing and pitching. We dive in to work with teams and help them to win specific contracts.

Don’t be surprised. As per independent gathered in from Proposal Benchmarker™, the health sector is the healthiest one! Now there’s still a range of capabilities across organisations, but the large private sector providers boast strong levels of capability in this competitive landscape. The health sector is heavily procurement-led, relying on subject matter experts to navigate its complex and often IT-heavy requirements. With detailed questions and technical intricacies, it can be challenging to effectively tell the story and highlight the remarkable work of healthcare professionals.

Bidding in the ICT sector involves staying up to date with the latest technological advancements. Our teams are dedicated to aligning our expertise with our clients' needs in this fast-paced industry. We work with organisations across the broad range of products and solutions that are required by their government and commercial customers, including assemblers, business process outsourcers, manufacturers, resellers, service providers, and specialists such as security consultants. We help improve capabilities through benchmarking and capability development. We provide expert support from expert reviews interventions through to bid and proposal managers, writers and designers – predominantly across the pre-proposal, proposal development and pitch phases.

Despite having some very substantial and complex deals, according to the Proposal Benchmarker™, this sector ranks fourth. Not bad, but perhaps not where you’d expect to see it. However, this sector is not without some challenges. Often with tough quarterly targets, sellers can be very short-term focussed – jumping from one deal to the next in their attempt to hit a number.

The best technical experts are in short supply. They are key to developing solutions and often make the difference to winning and losing. Making the most from these thinly spread resources is crucial in the bid.

Then of course you’ve security challenges to cover: regulation through to the latest and everchanging threats. You have to give your customer the confidence that you’ve got their back, and they can trust you.

What’s next? The real point of differentiation will come from those bidders who seriously embed campaign and capture into their bidding capabilities – at least for their largest, most strategic opportunities.

The professional services sector demands a high level of precision and attention to detail. We’re experienced in crafting proposals that meet the exacting standards of this industry. And in a space where there’s very little difference from one organisation to the next, there’s no sector where the people you’re putting forward are more important. We’ve become experts in highlighting the distinct benefits that each team member you put forward will deliver to your clients. We’ve also become a keen ally to lead consultants when suggesting some of the challenges that their clients may be facing. Finding that extra piece of empathy can also act as a differentiator in the fast-turnaround nature of proposals in this sector. We’re helping do all of these things on specific bids, where our team are dropped in to lead or support the proposal and pitch effort. We’re also asked to make a difference through our training and coaching services.

Ranked seventh in terms of bidding capability, professional services organisations struggle to hit the heights of achieved in other sectors. That’s down to the challenges mentioned above, especially the fast-paced nature of the associated procurements. Understanding, collaborating with and getting the best out of, usually senior and very busy people, is crucial to success in this sector. We’ve got this covered through our experience of working with partners and senior consultants. We quickly get into the mindsets of often very technically skilled and experienced people. As such we can add value by going that extra mile on the research, writing drafts from scratch from emails and telephone conversations, and coming up with visuals that hit the mark with them and their customer.

What’s next in this sector? We also find that superb proposals don’t always lead to winning contracts. Why? The skills of the presenters at the pitch are often not where they should be. The best people in this sector tend to be highly educated, technical experts who are leaders in their respective fields. Usually, their personalities are leaning towards being more introvert, so standing up in front of a number of evaluators will put them on edge. Developing the skills through simple-to-remember tips and by applying a process to developing the pitch will help organisations in this sector to win more.

Navigating the complexities of the transport and logistics sector requires a thorough understanding of the industry's unique challenges. Our teams are equipped to handle these intricacies and deliver winning bids. We understand the similarities and nuances of the end customers – often national and regional government. We understand the complex stakeholder maps that sit behind decision making in this sector. We’re all too familiar with the detailed plans that customers will expect to see in supplier’s submissions.

Organisations are working with us across a variety of use cases. This spans across testing their current global capabilities and designing programmes to deliver improvements through our training and consulting, to providing short-term expert review support on a specific opportunity, to providing a team of experts to lead and support the winning of a major bid.

According to the Proposal Benchmarker™, transport firms are ranked third out of all the sectors. This means they are producing very good quality proposals because they often have the infrastructure, tools, resources and skilled resources needed to achieve this. 

This sector is marked by long lead times and intricate solutions that often need large levels of financing. The competitive landscape demands not only robust infrastructure and exceptional resources but also a strategic approach that predicts and navigates potential obstacles. Transport projects often involve multifaceted coordination among various stakeholders, regulatory compliance, and adherence to stringent safety standards. Success comes from tailoring the offer to address these critical factors, presenting comprehensive solutions that resonate with evaluators.

Because of the nature of the bids in this sector, deals are often lost before the customer goes to market. So, running effective capture processes and campaigns are often the key to success. That’s not to say its plain sailing though. After navigating often heavy-duty submissions, things can go wrong at the presentation phases. Success here often relies on highly experienced, operational people being able to clearly demonstrate their capabilities and build trust with the evaluators. They often need coaching during the presentation preparation phase to get this right.

We offer a comprehensive suite of services, including expert capture management support; tailored, immersive training; and coaching for individuals wishing to attain the prestigious APMP Capture Practitioner certification. These are all designed to empower your teams to secure complex, high-value contracts with confidence.