Mastering Limits or Just Playing the Game?

With the latest round of CCS bidding well underway, word and character limits are once again front and centre for proposal teams.

Whether you’re responding to a tender, crafting a capability statement, or submitting a proposal, these limits aren’t just formatting rules. They’re strategic constraints.

🔹 Too few words? You risk underselling your value.
🔹 Too many? You risk disqualification or losing clarity.
🔹 Just right? You show precision, professionalism, and that you’ve fully understood the requirements.

In our world, every word counts – literally. Treat every word like it costs money. If it doesn’t add value, cut it.

But here’s the real debate:
Some argue character limits force clarity and sharpen messaging. Others feel they restrict depth, making it harder to showcase the full value of complex solutions. And others feel it’s just a system that needs to be played.

Where do you land on this? Please join the discussion here.

Written by Ben Hannon