About Bid Solutions
Everything you need to win — recruitment, consultants, software, training and data, in one place.
Bid Solutions is the UK’s largest and most complete bid and proposal company. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in London, we pioneered specialist bid recruitment and have grown into a complete “bid marketplace” — bringing together recruitment, the UK’s largest network of 800+ vetted freelance consultants, vendor-agnostic bid software comparison, accredited training, and the profession’s definitive salary and best-practice content. Our network reaches 98% of the global bid and proposal workforce across five continents, and clients we’ve supported have secured more than £100 billion in new business at an 84% win rate. We’re APMP certified, Cyber Essentials certified, and rated 4.8/5 “Exceptional” on Feefo.
As the pioneers of bid recruitment, we have built an unparalleled network of candidates, consultants and contractors. We are the market leaders for recruiting Bid Managers, Bid Writers, Proposal Managers, Business Development Managers, Capture Managers, Account Executives, Pitch Managers, Pursuit Leaders, and Work-Winning Professionals.
Quickly find the best bid software on the market. We simplify your journey to finding the best Bid, Proposal, GovCon, and RFP Management software. Unlock your full work-winning potential with the Bid Software Comparison Platform and bespoke Match & Compare Reports.
If you need to urgently assemble a bid team or require specialist freelance expertise at short notice, our Bid Consultant Directory provides the largest online directory of independent bid and proposal consultants. With over 800 professionals to choose from, we are your go-to partner for all time-critical bid and proposal requirements.
Develop the essential skills and behaviours needed to win bids, tenders, proposals and pitches. We are proud to deliver the internationally acclaimed BidMaster™ Certification, and our Train to Win programme brings together a focused suite of specialist courses covering bid writing, public sector procurement, capture strategy and bid storytelling. Each course addresses a critical stage in the Bid Lifecycle, from early capture through to submission.
Our story
Bid Solutions was the first specialist bid and proposal recruiter in the UK. More than two decades on, and now working globally, we’ve placed more permanent bid and proposal professionals than any other business and built the profession’s largest network of candidates, consultants and contractors — then extended it into software, training, data and content, so clients have a single partner for every work-winning need.
Meet the Team
Martin Smith
Managing Director
As Managing Director of Bid Solutions I am passionate about helping clients win new business. With increasingly savvy procurement professionals, more competition and new technology changing the way we bid, it is my job as Managing Director to ensure we offer you a one-stop shop for winning. We offer market leading people, software solutions and bespoke training courses to help you win more business, more often. Prior to joining Bid Solutions, I spent 10 years at global IT organisations. I held positions such as Head of Professional Services and Head of Bid & Proposal Management.
Lisa Easthope
Operations Director
I joined Bid Solutions in 2013 as the office administrator and have progressed in that time to Operations Director. I can’t believe where the time has gone. It’s certainly been an interesting journey. I am responsible for managing the admin team, finance, training and driving process improvements (the team love my new processes).
I enjoy relaxing at home with family and friends or with my head stuck in a good book. I also enjoy travelling and have already booked my holidays for the next two years.
Ben Hannon
Recruitment Director
As Recruitment Director, I am responsible for consistently providing long-term success for our clients in an increasingly competitive market. I achieve this through a personable and professional approach, along with a continuous education of the industry, ensuring that I speak the same language as fellow bid and proposal professionals.
Having progressed through the ranks at Bid Solutions, I understand the culture and winning mentality that ensures we stand out from the crowd. I am an active member of the APMP and enjoy networking at local events. Come find me and say hello!
I enjoy keeping active and find running to be a great way to de-stress. This is particularly helpful as I am an Arsenal season ticket holder, which is not good for the blood pressure.
Bidding Quarterly
Bidding Quarterly is an award-winning publication that provides the global bid and proposal profession with impartial advice, shared experiences, market trends and best practice.
Bidding Quarterly
Bidding Quarterly is an award-winning publication that provides the global bid and proposal profession with impartial advice, shared experiences, market trends and best practice.
Salary Survey
Bid Solutions provides the definitive salary benchmarking data for the UK Bid and Proposal profession.
Salary Survey
Bid Solutions provides the definitive salary benchmarking data for the UK Bid and Proposal profession.
Match and Compare
Our innovative Match & Compare reports deliver personalised bid management software recommendations, matched with your bespoke functional, technical and bid team requirements, in minutes.
Match and Compare
Our innovative Match & Compare reports deliver personalised bid management software recommendations, matched with your bespoke functional, technical and bid team requirements, in minutes.
Contact Us
Find a Bid Consultant
Having rapid access to bid and proposal consultants can make the difference between winning and losing.
Register Now
We are the recruitment consultancy of choice for the bid and proposal profession.
Expertise
We are specialists in Bid Recruitment, proposal resourcing, and work-winning talent acquisition, with a proven track record of delivering exceptional candidates at every level. We source the expertise you need to win – Bid and Proposal Managers/Directors, Bid and Proposal Writers, Capture Managers, Pitch Managers, Knowledgebase Leads, Graphics & DTP Experts, Business Development Professionals, and more.
Our Bid Training solutions deliver measurable impact across multiple sectors. Partnering with the UK’s leading bid and proposal consultancies, we have helped organisations double their win rates and achieve up to a 50% reduction in proposal costs – transforming the way they compete and win.
We understand the specialist skills, qualifications, and disciplines that drive success in each market and have extensive experience across more than 50 industries – including Professional Services, IT, Construction, Public Sector, Security, Telecoms, Oil & Gas, Healthcare, Engineering, Education, Travel, Logistics, Financial Services, Banking, Defence, and Manufacturing.
Our reach is truly global, ensuring location is never a barrier to assembling a winning team. We’ve connected bid and proposal professionals with organisations across the UK and Europe, as well as North and South America, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Our Values
Teamwork
Winning together
The best solutions come from working together. We build long-term, cooperative, winning relationships with our clients, candidates, associates and business partners.
Perseverance
Achieving long-term success
We firmly believe that success and winning come from hard work, tenacity and forward planning.
Excellence
Being the best we can be
We pride ourselves on being the best at what we do. The Bid Solutions team is APMP Certified and we continuously invest in specialist training and development. We go the extra mile to achieve excellence for ourselves and our customers.
Agility
Prepared to react
We are the best-connected bid and proposal recruitment consultancy in the world, enabling us to be the fastest to market when it comes to connecting talent with opportunity. No matter how demanding your bid deadline, we can help.
Ambition
Seizing the day
Our team are actively encouraged to use their initiative and seize opportunities. We always aim high and encourage self-belief. Ambition drives exceptional results.
Key Stats and Facts
Our network allows us to reach 98% of the global bid and proposal workforce and we have successfully recruited on five continents
Over 50,000 registered bid and proposal professionals and more than 800 independent consultants and associates
We recruit more permanent bid and proposal professionals than any other business
More than £100 billion in new business has been secured with our help
We provide next-day contract support for all live bid requirements
Established in 2002 and headquartered in London
Our Partners
We work with an accredited ecosystem of specialist partners — including the creators of BidMaster™ and an APMP Authorised Training Organisation — so our clients always access best-in-class capability.
Bid Solutions has been proudly working with CSK Management for over 10 years. CSK Management has nearly 30 years of experience delivering bid and proposal training across all industries around the globe, helping organisations and professionals succeed in competitive sales environments. As the creator of BidMaster™, the most comprehensive bid and proposal training and certification programme, CSK Management equips participants with the knowledge, tools and techniques needed to develop winning proposals. BidMaster™ covers the full proposal process, from understanding customer needs and shaping compelling storylines to pricing strategies and persuasive presentations, providing both strategic insight and practical skills.
Growth Ignition is one of Bid Solutions’ strategic partners for our ‘Train to Win’ programme, as well as being a leading transformation, consulting, training and enabling tech firm in the work winning space. They’re on a mission to help their clients maximise sustainable growth and focus their spend by joining the dots from business planning and marketing, through to initiatives in account management, capture and bidding, all the way to generating insight from structured client feedback programmes. They are led by Jeremy Brim who brings 20 years of experience as a capture and bid management professional across both the public and private sectors.
FMA Agency is one of Bid Solutions' key partners for design and creative marketing. Every winning bid needs to stand out from the competition and their design team can help you do just that. They provide their clients with bespoke design support at value prices and work to deadlines on turnaround time. The team work across a wide range of sectors and pride themselves on their ability to constantly produce original design ideas. Whatever your creative needs are, FMA can help you Bid to Win.
Readman Writes, led by Lisa Readman, is Bid Solutions’ preferred partner for proofing and editing. Lisa will help you ensure the publications, websites, case studies and marketing documents which present your company to the world are correct and concise. Lisa’s uncompromising approach and attention to detail will improve the readability of your written collateral and clarify your business message. Proofing and editing services are highly valuable but often overlooked. Readman Writes will provide an affordable service ensuring every word you write counts.
Bid Solutions has worked with Sixfold International for over 20 years. Sixfold specialises in public sector bidding, providing expertise in procurement strategy, regulatory challenges and support on strategically important competitions. Appointed by APMP as an Authorised Training Organisation (ATO), Sixfold delivers APMP Foundation, Practitioner and Professional accreditation training with full examination support. Sixfold is led by Peter Lobl and Andy Haigh. Peter advises organisations on navigating complex public sector procurement environments and has acted as an Expert Procurement Witness in the High Court. Andy has led bids since the 1980s, helping organisations improve win rates and bidding efficiency. He is co-author of Winning Public Sector Contracts (Guardian Books). Participants gain practical insight into public sector procurement frameworks, techniques for strengthening compliant responses and the confidence to compete more effectively in regulated environments.