Bidding Masterclass – Become a BidMaster™

The Ultimate Professional Training and Certification Curriculum in the Bid/Proposal Space

Provided by CSK, a Bid Solutions Training Partner

The BidMaster™ programme is the most comprehensive, most advanced, and most engaging training and certification scheme for bid and proposal professionals.

Participants learn effective strategies for preparing and submitting winning proposals. They get practical tools to manage any bid process, ultimately leading to more successful and competitive bid submissions.The BidMaster™ framework provides methods, tools and structures to cover the entire proposal process, from RFP analysis to document production, from proposal office installation to proposal presentation.It enables Bid and Proposal Teams to work more efficiently while winning more deals.

The course includes a complementary copy of The Ultimate Bid andProposal Compendium (400+ pages, in flipbook or ebook format) for each participant. All participants receive a Digital Badge and a personal, verifiable

PDF certificate to showcase their successful completion of the course and the expertise gained. Successful exam takers receive the Certified BidMaster™ Badge.

This workshop is available in various formats:

For entire teams / groups:

Standard 3-day face-to-face workshop (or 9 online 3-hour sessions)
Compact 2-day face-to-face workshop (or 6 online 3-hour sessions)

For individuals:

Public online series (10 sessions of 60–180 minutes)

Optional Certification Exam

The standard course is offered with or without the online certification exam (at no additional cost).

Bid and Proposal Compendium

Certified BidMaster Badge

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Course Outline

Fundamentals of Modern Bid Management

Defining the scope of modern bid/proposal management and its process
Understanding key terms and definitions
Designing a powerful bid/proposal organisation
The Five Stepping Stones of successful teams
Managing varying workloads
Applying key metrics
Using the right tools, checklists, and templates
How to leverage AI in bidding

Taking the Customer’s Perspective

Thinking like an evaluator
Understanding the buying centre and its decision-making process
Driving customer decisions
Moving from features and benefits
Moving from compliance and responsiveness
Distinguishing between value and price
Positioning in the differentiation spectrum
Understanding different types of tenders

Mastering Proposal Planning

Getting the overview: The BidMaster™ Process
Making a quick start: Systematic RFP analysis
Making the right decision: Bid or No-Bid? (qualification)
Planning and mastering your process and reviews
Planning document progress
Preparing and running a professional kick-off meeting
Managing virtual teams
Managing partners and suppliers
Mastering knowledge management for bidders

Planning and Developing Compelling Bid Content

Learning the Storyline™ Approach as a repeatable writing method to persuade the buying centre
Getting content planning right (outlining your document and defining powerful headings)
Making it easy to read
Developing winning key messages and theme statements
Writing compelling proposal text (applying the Style Guidelines and APMP’s Writing Guidelines)
Leveraging pre-written text (boilerplate)
Developing stunning graphics (ground rules) and using the right pictures and photos
Increasing the impact of your cover pages, cover letters, and page design
Leveraging AI for writing

Tactical Pricing and Value Creation

Refresher: Difference between value, price, and cost
Distinguishing between pricing strategies and pricing tactics
Understanding the customer’s business case
Pricing of risks and uncertainties
Understanding the Sweet Spot Approach
Leveraging alternative pricing models
Applying behavioural pricing: How to present the price

Truly Compelling Executive Summaries

Compelling Executive Summaries
Resumés (CVs, Bios)
Case Studies
Relevant experience
‘About Us’
Appendices / Annexes

Producing the Final Bid Document

Making it easy to read with the right page layout
Leveraging Microsoft Word and creating efficient templates
Creating professional PDFs
Using alternatives to Microsoft Word (PowerPoint, InDesign)
Increasing the impact of your proposal with cover pages, cover letters, divider pages, etc
Adding sizzle (QR codes, video clips, virtual reality)

Creating Appealing Proposal Graphics

Applying ground rules for creating proposal graphics
Implementing key elements of visuals
Using photos and stock pictures effectively
Respecting copyrights
Using icons
Leveraging PowerPoint tricks
Presenting data using Excel charts and infographics

Successful Negotiation for Bidders

Distinguishing between distributive and integrative negotiations
Understanding the basics of successful negotiators
Preparing negotiations
Understanding BATNA and ZOPA
Avoiding the discount game
Defending against psychological tricks
Leveraging ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions

Powerful Proposal Presentations (PPP)

Understanding key principles of winning orals
Preparing the show
Applying the 7-step agenda
Making it interesting and keeping the attention level high
Alternatives to the standard PowerPoint presentations (and why they are usually so dull)
Mastering virtual presentations (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)

Who would benefit from attending?

Sales Leads should attend to develop their understanding of this critical phase in the business development lifecycle. It will:

Enable higher conversion rates through insight and positioning
Demonstrate the value of high quality input into strategy and win themes
Show how to build an informed commercial strategy
Help the team to storyboard compelling content and maximise document impact through robust, client-centric reviews

Bid Managers should attend to build on their techniques and approach to:

Mobilising bid teams to succeed
Engaging senior colleagues in value proposition development
Project management, bid process and governance of tenders
Maximising outputs from meetings and facilitating high impact reviews
Understanding how they can help their teams successfully improve their presentations and pitches to win business

Contributors or subject matter experts (SMEs) should attend to:

Understand the full tendering environment and how to play a winning part in it
Acquire skills in challenging and verifying strategy
Understand their lead role in bid solution development
Hone skills in storyboarding and writing compelling responses

Bid Leaders who are regularly nominated to lead proposals should attend to understand:

Their responsibilities and required behaviours
How they should select a winning bid team
How to develop a strategy, win themes and solution
Their role in ownership of the commercials and risks
How to review the submission to drive quality and to provide impact
How to coach the team to pitch and present with confidence

Service Delivery Leads who will be responsible for developing the solution and running the service once the business is secured should attend to further develop:

Their approach to building winning service delivery models that deliver value and innovation for the client
Their skills in leading the deconstructing of requirements and questions to generate compelling content
How to lead the client engagement with impact and capture the client’s attention as the lynchpin of the delivery team

FAQs

Who will benefit from attending the BidMaster™ Programme?

The curriculum is designed for anyone involved in the bid and proposal space — whether seasoned professionals or new hires. It is relevant across all industries and tailored for bid and proposal professionals (such as bid managers, writers, contributors, and coordinators), as well as sales roles (including opportunity, capture, and account managers) and pre-sales professionals.

When is the next BidMaster™ Training Course Scheduled?

Please check upcoming BidMaster™ Course dates here.

Please note that when preparing with the eLearning or Self-study Package, you are free to schedule both your preparation time and exam date.

How much does BidMaster™ Certification Exam Cost?

The BidMaster™ Certification exam is free of charge for participants of the Global BidMaster™ Programme.

Public live online training
To participate in the programme, you can book a place in one of the next public series (EUR 2490, USD 2590, GBP 2090, AUD 3860 per participant).

Significant discounts for multiple participants from the same organisation apply. The prices are all-inclusive: including free access to all session recordings, access to the CSK Knowledge Portal, free copy of The Ultimate Bid and Proposal Compendium (eBook 400+ pages), access to all course slides, CSK Glossary (300+ terms), Credly Digital Credentials: Digital Badge and individual, verified PDF course confirmation, and optional end-of-program exam. There are no hidden costs, no membership required, and no re-certification fees.

Dedicated Team workshop (online)

You can also book a dedicated group series for entire teams (up to 30 participants per series). Fees are starting from EUR 595 / GBP 510 / USD 675 per participant, including exam, materials, recording access etc.

Dedicated Team workshop (classroom, onsite, face-to-face)

You can also book a three-day in-depth workshop (on-site, classroom, face-to-face) for groups up to 20 participants. Pricing on request. See Pricing

Single Sessions

You can also book single sessions of the curriculum (starting from EUR 129 / GBP 109 / USD 139 / AUD 190 per session), without the option to sit the exam.

What does the BidMaster™ Certification assess?

The BidMaster™ Certification follows a competency assessment process that is fair, consistent, and aligned with global best practice standards. In part I of the exam, candidates sit a 100 question multiple choice exam. In part II, they must re-write an executive summary (scenario based real-world writing exercise).

If you fail, you can re-sit once at a date of your choice, free of charge. There is no waiting time. If you failed a second time, you can re-sit again after a waiting time of six months (an administrative fee will apply).

How long is a BidMaster™ Certification valid for?

Once you have achieved your Certification, there are no re-certification requirements (and thus, no further fees). There are no membership requirements, either.

Additionally, there is no formal minimum experience requirement. For those who want to take the exam, we recommend at least one year industry experience.

How long does it take to become BidMaster™ Certified?

The total duration of the course is about 24 hours (10 modules of 60-180 minutes) The public training series is spread over 10-12 weeks. Exam preparation time varies depending on the participant’s experience and knowledge, typically requiring between one and four days.

What is the difference between APMP Certification and BidMaster™ Certification

For a detailed look at how BidMaster™compares to APMP Certification, please click here.

If I attend a public course, can I access a recording later?

Yes. In the public training series, all sessions are recorded. All participants are provided with the link to the recordings. The link is available for 180 days after the session.

Is the BidMaster™ Training Programme available in other languages?

Yes. Currently, it is available in German. The eLearning will be launched in English language only.

Writing winning bids and proposals

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Call Us +44 (0)20 8158 3952