Bid writing is a unique skill that is used in business development and procurement. A bid writer is highly specialised and requires years of study, training, and in-field experience to succeed. The bid writer creates detailed proposals and documents for procurement opportunities. These persuasive proposals may be in response to invitations to tender (ITTs) or requests for proposals (RFPs), to secure funding for business projects or general opportunities for the organisation. Take a more detailed look at what bid writing is and how to become a bid writer.
What is a Bid Writer and What Does a Bid Writer Do?
The role of a bid writer encompasses several different aspects of securing business opportunities within government, private, and non-profit sectors. The key tasks of a bid writer include the following:
1. Research the requirements and objectives of the tender or proposal
2. Develop a clear strategy and timeline for proposal completion, outlining the content of the proposal and the potential stakeholders
3. Write a clear and persuasive proposal and proof reading the written proposal before submission to increase the chance of acceptance and approval
4. Submitting the proposal to the necessary people and securing opportunities
5. Stay up to date on the latest industry trends and keep a lookout for further business contracts and opportunities
How Do You Become a Bid Writer?
The exact process of becoming a bid writer will depend on where you live, but there are some general steps that everybody who wants to become a successful bid writer will need to take.
Training and qualifications
To enter a career in bid writing, you will need to obtain the relevant qualifications and training. Even if you don’t have a background in business or marketing, you can still become a bid writer by completing a reputable course such as one of Thornton and Lowe’s bid writing training courses.
Similar courses include those in proposal writing, procurement, and contract management, all of which will contribute to your academic knowledge and overall experience to succeed in bid writing.
Perfecting your writing skills
You will need to perfect your writing skills, as creating written proposals will be central to your role as a bid writer. More specifically, you will need to ensure your writing is concise and free of grammar or punctuation errors.
Gaining relevant industry experience and networking to build your contact list
Industry experience is also essential for succeeding as a bid writer, and it enables you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and improve upon the latter.
Industry experience also enables you to build a strong network of contacts and opens the door to potential job opportunities within reputable companies. Once you have some professional experience working as a bid writer, you can work on expanding your portfolio to showcase successful bids and proposals and improve your chances of future work.
