Are You Bid-Ready? 15-Point Self-Assessment (with Scorecard)

Last-minute decisions to bid can feel exciting. They are also expensive, risky and draining if the opportunity was never a good fit. Bid readiness is what stands between a confident yes and a hopeful guess, and it often shows up in your win rate long before you notice it in your pipeline.

This 15-point self-assessment is designed to give you a clear, honest view of your current bid readiness. In a few minutes you will be able to see where you are strong, where you are exposed and what needs to improve so you are genuinely tender-ready before the next opportunity lands in your inbox.

What Bid Readiness Really Means

Bid readiness is your ability to spot the right opportunity, qualify it quickly and submit a compelling, compliant tender without scrambling. It is the difference between a considered bid decision and a rushed response built around whoever has time.

Being truly bid ready means you can answer three simple questions with confidence:

• Are we eligible, credible and strategically aligned for this contract?
• Can we mobilise the right people, content and evidence in time?
• Will our response clearly outperform realistic competitors?

In practical terms, bid readiness shows up in how early you engage with opportunities. When you are genuinely tender-ready, you are tracking pipelines, shaping opportunities where you can and making go or no-go calls before the clock starts ticking.

It also shows up in how closely your bids mirror what evaluators need to see. Public buyers are under pressure to demonstrate transparency, value for money and effective risk management. Strong bid readiness means your processes, evidence and narratives are already built around those expectations, not bolted on at the last minute.

Finally, bid readiness is repeatable. It is not one strong bid, achieved through heroic effort. It is a way of working that makes high quality, high scoring responses the norm rather than the exception.

Our 15-Point Bid Readiness Checklist: How to Use

This self-assessment is designed to be quick, honest and practical. You are not aiming for a perfect score. You are aiming for a clear picture of where you stand today and what needs to change before your next tender.

The simplest approach is to complete it twice. First individually, then together as a team. Comparing answers is often where the most useful conversations start.

Use this simple scoring system for each of the 15 points:

1. Score 2 if this is consistently in place, understood and evidenced.
2. Score 1 if it is partially in place, informal or inconsistent.
3. Score 0 if it is not in place, unclear, or depends on ad hoc effort.

Add up your scores as you go. You will end up with:

• A total bid readiness score out of 30.
• A score for each area of the checklist: strategy and opportunity fit, capability and capacity, evidence and submission quality.

Once you have your scores, do not stop at the number. Look for patterns. A relatively high overall score with weak evidence or pricing will still struggle in competition. A lower total score with strong qualification discipline might tell you that you are already good at saying no, but need support to raise the quality of the bids you do submit.

If you use a scorecard version of this checklist, keep it with your pipeline. The aim is to turn bid readiness into a habit, not a one-off exercise.

Bid Readiness Self-Assessment: Strategy and Opportunity Fit

This first section focuses on whether you are choosing the right tenders in the first place. Strong strategy and opportunity fit protects your time, your margins and your reputation.

Score each statement from 0 to 2 using the scale from the previous section.

1. We qualify on the basics

You have a clear process to check eligibility before anyone starts drafting. Mandatory criteria, pass or fail questions, accreditations and minimum financial thresholds are confirmed early against the notice and any guidance for suppliers, rather than halfway through the response.

If this step is weak, even excellent responses can be disqualified before they are scored.

2. The opportunity fits our strategy and growth plan

You can point to a documented growth plan and explain why this contract belongs in it. The scope aligns with your core services, preferred sectors and realistic geographies, instead of pulling you into areas where you have no track record.

Bid readiness is not about chasing every public sector notice that looks interesting. Instead, select opportunities that reinforce your positioning and build towards a coherent portfolio of contracts.

3. We understand the buyer and competitive landscape

Before deciding to bid, you have a basic picture of the buyer’s objectives, constraints and likely concerns. You are familiar with their previous or related procurements, and you track wider guidance on how government buyers are expected to approach value for money and social outcomes.

You also have a view of your competition. You know which incumbent or alternative providers are likely to bid, where you are stronger and where you are weaker.

4. We have clear, buyer-specific win themes

For each tender, you can summarise in a few lines why the buyer should choose you. Those win themes speak directly to their evaluation criteria and priorities, such as service quality, resilience, innovation, local impact and delivery of social value.

Internally, the team is aligned on these themes before writing starts. Content, pricing and risk management then reinforce the same story, rather than pulling in different directions.

5. We have enough time and capacity for a strong response

You are realistic about what a compelling, compliant bid actually takes. There is a clear plan for storyboarding, drafting, reviews, pricing and approvals. People are booked, responsibilities are agreed and there is space for at least one quality and compliance review.

When this is not the case, you fall back on a structured pre-bid approach to get your ducks in a row before committing. If the timing, resources or governance are not there, you are prepared to walk away rather than submit something rushed and generic.

Bid Readiness Self-Assessment: Capability, Capacity and Governance

This part of the checklist looks at whether you can safely deliver what you promise, and prove it.

Score each statement from 0 to 2 using the same scale as before.

6. We have relevant experience at the right scale

You can point to contracts of a similar size, scope and complexity. Your references are current, permissioned and ready to use. Case studies do more than describe what you did. They show results, outcomes and lessons learned.

If your recent experience is smaller than the opportunity in front of you, you have a realistic plan to scale up and partners who can credibly fill gaps.

7. We can deliver without overstretching BAU

You know how this contract would impact existing commitments. Resource plans and mobilisation timelines are not just created to win the bid. They are tested against real capacity, including peaks, holidays and sickness.

Operational leaders are involved in qualification. They understand that being truly bid-ready includes protecting service quality elsewhere, not only securing the new contract.

8. Our financials and risk profile support the bid

You understand the typical financial checks used in public procurement, such as minimum turnover ratios and basic credit risk indicators, and you know how your organisation currently scores against them. Management accounts, audited statements and insurances can be produced quickly, in the requested format.

Where there are potential concerns, you address them early and honestly, rather than hoping they will be overlooked in evaluation.

9. Policies, certifications and governance are in place and up to date

Core policies such as health and safety, data protection, safeguarding, equality, information security and environmental management are documented, signed and version controlled. Statutory requirements are covered, and sector expectations are understood.

Certifications, accreditations and registrations are kept in one place so you can respond quickly when tender documentation asks for evidence. Ownership is clear, so renewals and updates do not rely on memory.

10. Roles, responsibilities and escalation routes are clear

Everyone involved in bidding understands their part. There is a named bid lead, a sponsor with decision-making authority and a clear route for resolving risks or conflicts. Sign-off thresholds are agreed in advance.

When a high value or strategically important opportunity appears, you already know how to prepare around leadership time, legal review, finance input and operational assurance, so governance supports the bid instead of slowing it down.

Bid Readiness Self-Assessment: Evidence, Content and Submission

This section focuses on whether you have the materials, skills and discipline to submit consistently high scoring tenders.

Score each statement from 0 to 2 using the same scale as before.

11. We maintain an up-to-date bid library

You have a central bid library that people actually use. Core narratives, case studies, CVs, mobilisation plans, method statements and standard annexes are stored in one place, tagged and version controlled. Owners are clear and content is refreshed on a schedule, not only when a deadline forces it.

Writers can find strong starting material quickly, then tailor it to the buyer, rather than recycling old responses that no longer match your current offer.

12. Our tender documentation is complete, current and easy to adapt

Standard documents such as organisational charts, policies, certificates, insurances, pricing templates and implementation plans exist in approved formats. They match how you work today and reflect the commitments you are prepared to make.

When a new opportunity appears, the team can assemble compliant tender documentation quickly, focusing effort on the specific questions that drive quality scores, rather than chasing basic paperwork.

13. We have skilled writers and reviewers who know what a bid writer does

People involved in bidding understand how evaluators read and score responses. They can interpret questions, structure answers and write clearly for non-specialists. Reviewers are trained to challenge content, test it against the criteria and identify gaps early.

You either have in-house capability or access to specialist support that understands what a bid writer does and can step in when stakes are high or capacity is stretched.

14. Our pricing and value story are joined up

Pricing is developed alongside the written submission, not in isolation. You understand likely evaluation models, sensitivities around abnormally low or high bids and how non-price criteria will influence the final decision.

Your narrative, method statements and social value offers all reinforce the same value story that the pricing model supports. Internally, you are clear on what you will not compromise on to win.

15. We follow a structured process for review, sign-off and submission

Every submission goes through at least one formal quality and compliance review. Roles such as red team or fresh-eye reviewers are defined. Checks cover completeness, eligibility, word limits, attachments, formatting and final portal upload.

You have documented steps that are followed every time, supported by tools and templates. When needed, you draw on external bid writing services and bid writing guidance to strengthen key bids, train internal teams and refine your process.

Scoring Your Bid Readiness: What Your Results Mean

Once you have scored all 15 statements, add up your total and note your scores for each of the three areas:

• Strategy and opportunity fit
• Capability, capacity and governance
• Evidence, content and submission quality

The total number is useful, but it is only the start. How that score is made up is often more important than the headline.

A simple way to interpret your overall bid readiness score is:

• 0 to 15: High risk. You are exposed across several areas. Bidding at scale without support is likely to waste time and budget. Focus on foundations before you commit to major tenders.
• 16 to 25: Mixed. You have some strengths, but there are gaps that will hold scores back or increase delivery risk. Be selective on which opportunities you pursue while you address the most serious issues.
• 26 to 30: Strong. You have a solid base for consistent bidding. The priority now is to sharpen your edge, increase efficiency and target higher win rates on the right opportunities.

Then look at the pattern behind the number.

If your strategy and opportunity fit scores are low, you may be chasing tenders that you were never likely to win. Tightening qualification and aligning bids to your growth plan will often improve win rates faster than any template.

If your capability and governance scores are the weakest, you may be putting contracts and reputation at risk. This is a sign that you need to strengthen delivery evidence, policies and decision making before stretching into larger or more complex work.

If evidence and submission quality drags your score down, you may be in a good position strategically but losing on execution. Investment in bid library development, training and specialist support can often move you up a scoring band without changing your underlying offer.

Finally, check how confident the team feels, not just the numbers they give. Where you see hesitation, disagreement or lots of marginal scores, that is usually a signal that you need clearer processes or ownership.

Creating a Practical Bid Readiness Plan

A checklist is only useful if it turns into action. Once you have your scores, the next step is to turn those gaps into a simple, realistic bid readiness plan.

Start by grouping your findings into three lists:

• Things we can fix in the next four weeks
• Things we can fix in the next quarter
• Things that require a longer-term change

Quick wins often sit around organisation and clarity. Examples include centralising your bid library, agreeing one qualification template, tightening your approval route or refreshing a handful of key case studies. These changes lift quality for every bid without needing major investment.

Structural changes usually focus on capability and governance. That might mean formalising roles for bid leadership, investing in training, building a more disciplined bid management process or aligning your approach with current public procurement policy.

It also helps to decide what you will stop doing. If your self-assessment shows weak strategic fit, commit to stricter qualification rules so you do not spend time on tenders you are unlikely to win. If evidence and submission quality are the issue, limit the number of live bids while you improve content, tooling and review processes.

For organisations that want a structured route from assessment to implementation, our Bid Success Programme is designed to turn bid readiness findings into a clear roadmap. We combine diagnostic work, practical planning and hands-on support so changes land quickly and translate into higher quality, higher scoring submissions.

Getting External Support

Some gaps are easy to tackle with internal effort. Others need a partner who lives and breathes bid readiness every day. That is where Thornton & Lowe comes in.

We sit alongside your team to turn this checklist into a practical plan. Our first step is usually a structured diagnostic that uses your 15-point scores, recent bids and pipeline to map strengths, risks and quick wins. Instead of debating opinions, you get a clear view of where bid readiness is helping you and where it is holding you back.

From there, we shape support around how you work today.

• If you need capacity on live tenders, Thornton & Lowe’s bid writing services plug specialist writers, reviewers and bid managers into your process. We help you plan, storyboard, draft and review, while your subject matter experts stay focused on what they do best.
• If you want to build internal capability, our bid writing training can enhance the skills of your team, from understanding what evaluators look for to sharpening structure, clarity and scoring.
• If your challenge is broader, the Bid Success Programme combines diagnostics, playbooks, coaching and hands-on delivery to improve how you qualify, prepare and submit bids across the board.

Thornton & Lowe also brings tools and templates that speed everything up. Bid readiness scorecards, qualification frameworks, standard storyboards, review checklists and content plans are all part of how we work. You keep and reuse them long after a specific tender is finished.

The aim is not to replace your team. The aim is to accelerate it. With our experts alongside you, you move faster from inconsistent, effort-heavy bidding to a confident, repeatable level of bid readiness that your organisation can sustain.

Where to Go from Here

You now have a clear, structured picture of what bid readiness looks like. The next step is to decide how you will use it.

A simple starting point is to run this self-assessment on one recent win and one recent loss. Compare the scores, look at the patterns and ask what would have changed if you had used this checklist before those tenders went live. That conversation alone will highlight where Thornton & Lowe can add the most value.

From there, we can help you:

• Turn your scores into a prioritised bid readiness roadmap that your leadership team can back
• Build or refresh a central bid library so future bids start from a stronger base
• Tighten qualification, governance and review so you protect time and focus on the right opportunities
• Provide targeted support on critical tenders while your team builds confidence and capability

If you want to take this further, share your completed 15-point scores with Thornton & Lowe. We can review where you are strong, where you are exposed and where a focused programme of support would make the biggest difference.

You do not have to fix everything at once. You just need a clear first move. If you would like Thornton & Lowe to help you shape that move, you can get in touch and we will work with you to design a scoped, practical next step that fits your pipeline and your ambitions.