Thornton & Lowe and Executive Compass have formally come together under the newly formed Procurement Growth Group, creating the largest specialist bid writing organisation in the UK.
The new group brings together specialist bid writing, tendering, procurement support and bid software expertise, with a combined 76-strong team and further recruitment planned.
It marks a significant moment for Thornton & Lowe, our clients and the wider bid writing and tendering sector. It also brings together two businesses with a shared history, shared values and a clear focus on helping organisations win more work.
Two businesses with a shared story
Thornton & Lowe and Executive Compass were both founded in 2009 and have each grown from regional specialists into nationally recognised bid and tender writing firms.
Thornton & Lowe, founded by Dave Thornton and headquartered in Bolton, supports businesses and public sector organisations with tender writing, bid management, procurement support and related services.
Executive Compass, founded by Neil Capstick and headquartered in the North East, has grown under the leadership of CEO Christian Rowe into a major SME bid and tender writing specialist, supporting organisations across a wide range of sectors.
The formation of Procurement Growth Group follows Thornton & Lowe’s recent acquisition of Bidding Limited, which had previously acquired Healthbid and AM Bid. As a result, the wider group now brings together a portfolio of specialist brands.
What is changing, and what is staying the same
Under the new group structure, Dave Thornton becomes Group CEO of Procurement Growth Group. Neil Capstick becomes Group Strategy Director, while Christian Rowe becomes Group Commercial Director.
Tom Sander-Daniel will continue as Managing Director of Thornton & Lowe, and Matthew Walker will continue as Managing Director of Executive Compass.
Importantly, this is about adding scale, expertise and capability, not losing what makes each brand work. Each brand will retail its own identity, client relationships and service standards.
For clients, day-to-day support will continue as normal. You will continue to work with the same specialist teams, with the same focus on practical advice, high-quality bid support and helping you improve your chances of winning work.
A broader set of services and tools
The combined group brings together a wider range of services and products designed to help organisations identify, manage and win contract opportunities.
Alongside bid writing, tender support and procurement consultancy, the group includes bid software-related products such as Tender Library, Tender Pipeline and bidtogether. These tools are designed to make bidding more efficient, better organised and more accessible.
For Thornton & Lowe clients, the new structure means greater capacity, broader expertise and a more joined-up range of specialist services to draw on as their bidding needs grow.
Why this matters for the sector
Bid writing and tender support used to be seen by some as a niche service. That has changed.
As procurement processes become more competitive, more structured and more strategically important, more organisations are turning to specialist support to improve their chances of winning work.
Procurement Growth Group has been formed to meet that shift, with a clear focus on procurement, tendering and long-term business growth, and continued investment in the people, services and technology that help clients win more contracts.
Dave Thornton, Group CEO of Procurement Growth Group, said:
“We are growing something really special here. Bringing these businesses together is part of the group’s highly ambitious plans, and people should watch this space. We are staying focused on procurement, tendering and business growth, and we will be driving hard to build on the strength, talent and reputation across the group.
It is a real honour and pleasure to be part of the same group. Over the years, we have realised both businesses share the same morals and values: putting customer service first, being solution-driven, and staying highly ambitious. Onwards and upwards.”
Neil Capstick, Founder of Executive Compass and Group Strategy Director, said:
“Joining forces under Procurement Growth Group allows us to build on that work at a greater scale, while keeping the values and client focus that have made both businesses successful.”
Christian Rowe, Group Commercial Director, said:
“The combined group gives us greater depth, broader expertise and more ways to support organisations at every stage of their bidding journey, from opportunity identification and strategy through to submission, review and long-term improvement.”
Continuing to support organisations through better bidding
The focus across the group remains clear: helping organisations win more work, improve their tendering processes and access more public and private sector contract opportunities.
For Thornton & Lowe clients, the formation of Procurement Growth Group means the same practical, specialist support, backed by greater scale, wider expertise and continued investment in people, services and technology.
As procurement continues to evolve, Thornton & Lowe will continue to support organisations with the bid writing, tender management, procurement and software-led services they need to compete with confidence.
Need support with your next tender?
Speak to Thornton & Lowe about our bid writing, tender management and procurement consultancy services.
