ABSTRACT
A steady stream of requests for proposals and bids is essential to the lifeblood of a firm. Most firms have limited resources to handle the various enquiries that come in from Clients and prospects, so it pays to have a way of evaluating requests for proposals, formal bids and invitations to tender. Anne Blackie is Head of Bids and Client Care at business advisers Grant Thornton UK LLP. When Anne joined the bid team in 2007 there were three senior managers, two bid managers and one executive, to support the firm's significant bids. The evaluation criteria are divided into sections: opportunity, competition, relationship value to the firm. The criteria can be reviewed and refined over time as the evaluation process develops. Bid criteria should be regularly reviewed based on results and amended to sharpen the process so that the criteria and weightings that resulted in the highest level of wins are retained.
