Calm, structured bid support for design-led practices.
I provide senior bid strategy, proposal leadership and submission support for architecture, cultural and specialist design practices.
Working collaboratively with directors, designers and bid teams, I help shape clear, coherent responses that reflect each studio’s design thinking and strengths.
Support is typically provided at key moments — whether responding to a major bid or competition, strengthening bid processes and resources, or providing additional capacity during busy submission periods.
Through The Response Studio, I offer thoughtful, experienced input across bid strategy, bid management and proposal development — without adding unnecessary noise to an already demanding process.
How I support studios
Support is shaped around the needs of each practice — whether responding to a specific opportunity or strengthening longer-term business development capability.
Strategy & opportunity assessment
Bid and submission strategy
Clarifying positioning, priorities and approach at the outset of a pursuit, including competitive positioning and messaging strategy.
Opportunity review and go / no-go decision-making
Supporting the early assessment of opportunities and developing clear, practical frameworks to guide decision-making.
Research and context analysis
Understanding client priorities, project challenges, sector context and competitive landscape to inform response strategy.
Bid development & submission support
Bid management and coordination
Providing structured support to plan, manage and coordinate submissions through to completion, including stakeholder coordination and editorial oversight.
Response shaping and review
Developing, reviewing and refining bid narratives to improve clarity, coherence and alignment with evaluation criteria.
Special content development
Creating tailored content for submissions, including focus pages, case studies and technical narratives.
Business development systems & resources
Past proposal audits
Reviewing previous submissions to identify strengths, gaps and opportunities for improvement.
RFP and competition tracking
Monitoring relevant opportunities across sectors and frameworks in the UK and internationally.
Process mapping and working practices
Bringing clarity to bid processes, roles and workflows to support smoother delivery.
Pipeline management design
Supporting the development of clear, proportionate pipeline tracking tools to help practices prioritise opportunities and plan resources effectively.
Core bid resources and templates
Developing and refining templates, text libraries, CVs and case studies to improve consistency and quality.
Bid plan template design
Creating clear, practical bid plan templates to support realistic programming, responsibilities and milestones.
Interim and ad hoc support
Providing senior-level input during busy bid periods, transitions or gaps in internal capacity.
How we work together
Introductory call
We begin with a short introductory call to discuss your studio’s needs, the context of the work, and what support would be most useful. Introductory calls are complimentary and typically last around 30 minutes.
For existing relationships or time-sensitive bids, this step may be abbreviated where appropriate.
Proposed scope and approach
Following the discussion, I prepare a short proposal outlining the suggested scope of support, priorities and approach.
For specific bids or established working relationships, this may be agreed more informally.
Agreeing timescales and ways of working
Timescales, key milestones and ways of working are agreed, including points of contact, review cycles, and how inputs and decisions will be managed.
Delivery and collaboration
Support is delivered in a calm, structured and collaborative way, working closely with directors, bid teams and designers as required.
Work is primarily undertaken remotely, with in-office support in London available where it adds value.
Review and next steps
At the end of the piece of work, we review what has been delivered and capture any learning or updates to resources, templates or processes.
Further support can then be agreed if required.
Commercial approach
For ad hoc bid support, work is typically charged on a day-rate basis. The rate may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the submission, such as a PQQ, tender or design competition.
For more proactive pieces of work — including business development diagnostics, process design, pipeline management, and the development or refinement of resources and templates — support is usually provided on a fixed, time-bound basis. This allows for a clearly defined scope, agreed timescales and certainty on cost from the outset.
In all cases, the approach is agreed in advance and shaped around the needs of the studio and the specific piece of work.