Bid Writers Near Me
When looking for bid writers in your area, it is important to understand your specific needs and the advantages that different options can provide - location may be one - but is it critical? More important than experience, expertise, the right attitude or capacity, for example? Many businesses are drawn to local bid writers, thinking that proximity offers better support, but there are additional factors to take into account that could impact your success rate.
Outsourcing to remote bid writers can often bring specialised expertise and a broader understanding of various industries, which may lead to stronger applications and improved opportunities. Evaluating these choices carefully can help you make an informed decision and achieve better outcomes in your tendering efforts.
Thornton & Lowe - Bid Writer Locations
At Thornton & Lowe we have professional bid writers based across the UK, which are both directly employed by us, or work under our quality assurance as a bid writing consultant or association.
Our headquarters are based in Bolton, Greater Manchester, with a fully staffed office in Fife, Scotland for over 10 years now. We also have workspaces for our team in key locations including Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, and London. Over half of our bid writing services team operates on a hybrid or home-based model, ensuring flexibility, access to the best talent (over location) and easier access to meet at clients premises, when required. Of these remote workers, 30% are based within 20 miles of Manchester, 15% have close access to London, 20% are in the Birmingham area, and nearly 25% are based near Newcastle. This local reach allows us to offer personalised, geographically informed services to clients across the UK, all while ensuring that every team member receives the same high level of training and support, regardless of their location.
In practice, the vast majority of our support is delivered remotely, though we do like to meet our clients - especially when we are working on more complex bids, building longer term tendering partnerships or simply where timescales and budgets allow.
Regional Tendering Wins!
We’ve helped our clients win a wide range of contracts across the public sector and private sector, opening up valuable opportunities with buyers all over the UK. These include leading universities like the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, and University of Leeds, as well as major local councils such as Birmingham City Council, Manchester City Council, and Liverpool City Council. We’ve also worked with central government organisations, including HMRC, lots of utility companies! Also, framework wins with regional bodies like Places for People, as well as national organisations such as YPO, CCS, Fusion21, and ESPO, for example. Our clients have also worked with NHS trusts, local enterprise partnerships, and procurement bodies, gaining access to a wide range of public sector tenders.
In addition to these buyers, our clients have worked across many sectors and services, including healthcare, social care, infrastructure, and facilities management. This includes contracts for the supply and delivery of ergonomic furniture, cleaning, building maintenance, rainwater management, and electrical inspections. There has also been work in construction and asset improvement, such as solar PV installations, adult changing places facilities, and minor repair services. Our clients have also won contracts in areas like home support services, fire maintenance, and healthcare frameworks, along with waste management, drainage, and heating services. They’ve worked on frameworks for property improvements, decarbonisation, and energy services, including water safety management and wastewater repair. With wins across frameworks like Technology Services, the Water Network Alliance (WNA), and various NHS frameworks, our clients have shown their ability to manage a wide range of tenders, from routine maintenance to more complex construction and social care projects.
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Looking for Local Bid Writers? Factors to Keep in Mind
When searching for a bid writer in your area, consider more than just proximity. It can be easy to assume that a local expert offers better understanding, but location is not always the key to effective proposal writing.
Key points to evaluate:
- Relevant experience in your industry or sector.
- Proven success rates with similar tenders.
- Communication skills, whether remote or face-to-face.
- Access to a wider pool of expertise, not just those nearby.
Remember, the right skills and a clear track record in bid writing may matter more than where the writer is based.
Freelance Bid Writer Based At Your Office?
At Thornton & Lowe we have a specialist bid and proposal recruitment division called Bid Resource. Bid Resource helps our clients source both temporary (freelance) and permanent bid writers, managers, coordinators etc.
In addition to this and to further enhance our ability to offer local bid writing capacity and expertise we also own RFPVerse. RFPVerse has a dedicated portal of freelance bid writers. This is BidTalentConnect.
We have bid writers across:
London | Birmingham | Manchester |
Edinburgh | Glasgow | Leeds |
Nottingham | Newcastle | Southampton |
Liverpool | Oxford | Coventry |
Cardiff | Cambridge | Nottingham |
Reading | Bristol | Leicester |
Sunderland | Wolverhampton | Hull |
Reasons Businesses Often Look for Local Bid Writing Support
You may notice many businesses searching for local bid writers because of practical benefits. Working with someone nearby means sharing the same time zone (we only work in the UK which makes this very easy), which can make meetings, calls and responses much easier to schedule. This improves communication and avoids time delays that could hold up important parts of the bid process.
Some companies also value the chance to meet their bid writer face to face. In-person discussions can help establish trust and build strong working relationships. For some, supporting other local businesses is another motivator, as this often aligns with ethical or community-focused business development goals. For highly sensitive bids, for example in Defence, quite often even interim bid writers will need to work from the clients premises and only from their devices. Of course here - location can save thousands in expenses!
Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
Shared Time Zone | Faster communication, no timing issues |
Face to Face Meetings | Greater trust and direct collaboration |
Local Business Support | Strengthening community ties, building local networks |
Advantages of Choosing Remote Bid Writers
Outsourcing to remote Bid Writers can give you a broader selection of talent, ensuring that you do not restrict yourself to individuals in your immediate area. This wider pool allows you to find someone whose expertise and working style align closely with your requirements.
Remote collaboration has become straightforward with modern technology. Tools such as video meetings and phone calls allow you to discuss your project in detail and work through ideas in real time. This means you can have clear communication without long email exchanges or the need to meet face-to-face.
One practical benefit of remote Bid Writers is the potential for cost savings. For example, hiring someone outside major cities like London often results in lower fees, as you are not paying for higher city-based overheads. This can be particularly useful for businesses looking to maximise their budget.
Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
Broader talent pool | Access to specialists beyond your location, increasing chances of finding a suitable match |
Cost efficiency | Lower fees from professionals in regions with lower living expenses |
Flexible communication | Phone and video calls enable direct and effective discussions |
Convenience | No need for travel or in-person meetings, saving time and resources |
Selecting a remote Bid Writer based on expertise and compatibility, rather than location, often produces better results for your bids.
Struggling to Locate Tender Opportunities?
Need support finding tenders? We have a few options:
1. Find a Tender - is the main UK government portal for tenders. The challenge from suppliers is often due to multiple portals being used by different buyers, along with the system user experience and search needing a little work...
2. Tender Pipeline - this is part of our bid management software. Free access is here. We have a premium version also - as well as Tender Library for bid responses and AI writing and evaluation.
3. Search & Selection Service - tech is great! However, it still can sap up capacity and never be as accurate. We have a small team of tender researchers and bid administrators who get to understand our clients, their locations, services and products - we then do a daily search and provide it in a format which is right for you! This can be a daily email - with a quick email highlighting one we think would be very very good. Or a weekly excel sheet, for example. But we do the legwork and ensure it is tailored for you.
Book a demo of our software or a free consultation to discuss how we can help - hello@thorntonandlowe.com - 01204 238046
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find skilled bid writers in my location?
You can find professional bid writers in your local area by contacting us - hello@thorntonandlowe.com or 01204 238046. You can search online directories, business networks, and platforms specialising in procurement or tender support. Many companies, like Thornton & Lowe, offer consultations remotely, so proximity may be less important than expertise. Local business associations or chambers of commerce can also provide recommendations. We work with many regional membership organisations such as the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, as well as organisation such as the National Federation of Builders - who we partner with.
What fees are standard for agencies offering tender writing?
We have a specific article on this - the cost of outsourced bid writing. Charges for tender writing services can vary depending on the project's scope, complexity, and required expertise. Some firms may quote a flat project fee, while others charge by the hour or day. It is common for agencies to provide a customised quote after discussing your requirements.
Service Level | Typical Pricing Model |
|---|---|
Basic Review | Day rate - from £450 per day |
Full Bid Preparation | Project-based or daily rate |
Ongoing Consultation | Retainer or per session - see our BSP |
Which credentials matter when hiring a freelance bid writer?
When choosing a freelance bid writer or outsourced bid management consultancy, look for a mix of practical experience in your sector, proven success in winning bids, and strong communication skills. Qualifications such as APMP certification or formal writing credentials can be beneficial. Key and often overlooked points include - do you get on with them? Could you work with them? Are they responsive? Helpful? Check their google reviews (and ours!).
Which industries most often use professional bid writing services?
Bid writers are often engaged in sectors such as construction, health and social care, IT, facilities management, and professional services. Public sector tenders and charitable organisations frequently seek experienced bid writers to improve submission quality.
Do you employ your own bid writers or just supply freelancers?
Both. At Thornton & Lowe we have one of the largest and most successful bid teams in the UK! In business terms - we are still small - it's still fairly niche... We are close to 50 PAYE staff now. However, we do also have freelance bid writers and managers who will often support our capacity or work directly with a client depending on their needs.
Where do you write bids?
Our bid writers largely work remotely which is either from our offices or from home. Key areas include:
