The bid and proposal field hasn’t always enjoyed the professional recognition it has today. But thanks to a number of trailblazing leaders, the field now boasts a well-established Body of Read more

Before my career in sales and business development, I was a reporter. I worked at a small paper in rural Washington State and my editor told me that you can Read more

I recently finished reading Ubiquity by Mark Buchanan after hearing about it on an old episode of Melvin Bragg’s In Our Time radio show, and I found its profound insights Read more

In the business development (BD) lifecycle, there are many roles or labor categories that support a win in a competitive procurement. They include business developers, capture managers, proposal managers, solution Read more

APMP is pleased to announce that long-standing APMP member and Fellow Bruce Farrell will be returning to the APMP HQ Board of Directors in 2025. In 2020, Mr Farrell had Read more

Imagine seeing a $6,224 return for every $1 you spent on something per year. A pretty good investment, wouldn’t you say? Well, that’s exactly the return that one APMP corporate Read more

Like many in our community, Mike Reader wound up in the bid and proposal profession by accident. Having completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering, he worked in Read more

Imagine a small but innovative organization from a developing country that, against all odds, wins a multi-million-dollar contract from a leading international donor. Their secret? A deep understanding of the Read more

It is a universally acknowledged truth that profound lessons can be gleaned from life’s simple experiences. In this nod to Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need to Know I Learned Read more

Proposal management involves carrying the weight of the process on your shoulders. You’re responsible for creating workflows, assigning tasks, and managing the entire team. Recognize that everyone contributes a piece Read more

With many transitioning to the bid and proposal industry from a journalistic background, emphasis is often placed on responses that espouse creative, engaging and conversational writing using short, sharp sentences. Read more

Ashburn, VA – July 31, 2024 – The Association of Proposal Management Professionals is proud to announce that it has partnered with Responsive to publish a new research report: the Read more

As part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing an inclusive community of bid and proposal professionals, APMP has introduced a number of Affinity Groups, with the purpose of providing supportive Read more

At the risk of stating the obvious: bids and proposals can be very stressful. In fact, the profession has garnered quite the reputation – amongst those in the know at Read more

What a conference BPC New Orleans was! After months and months of preparation, meetings, email blasts, planning (and back-up planning), and anticipation, APMP’s flagship event is over for another year. Read more

New Orleans, Louisiana – June 3, 2024 – Today, the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) officially launched its brand-new learning initiative: The APMP Leadership Academy! The APMP Leadership Academy Read more

Neal Levene, CPP APMP, is a Senior Consultant with extensive experience in the business development lifecycle. Having worked in the bid and proposal space since the beginning of his career, Read more

The cardinal sin in proposal writing is not writing for your customer. You could have the best solution in the world, but if all you’re doing in your proposal is Read more

The UK government has continued its updates to publicly available information about the new procurement regime, due to come into force later this year. In recent weeks, we’ve not only Read more

Danelle Morrow, CF APMP, is an award-winning proposal executive with a passion for empowering professionals in this industry to reach their full potential. Last month, Danelle delivered an inspiring session Read more

We all know that graphics are important in proposals. They are a vital assist in conveying and spotlighting complex information, and enhancing your customers’ perception of your brand. But graphics Read more

In today’s data-driven world, storytelling has transformed by integrating data and visualizations. Data-driven writing combines the analytical power of data with the emotive impact of narratives and the clarity of Read more

According to the APMP Body of Knowledge, Competitive Price To Win (cPTW) is “the process for assessing how competitors will offer solutions to meet customer requirements”. It involves looking externally Read more

If you’re involved in the bid and proposal world, you’ve definitely heard a lot of people talk about how important the executive summary is. It’s the MVP of your proposal Read more

UK Procurement Updates: Three New Procurement Policy Notes Published The UK Cabinet Office has had a busy couple of weeks! Within the last ten days, three new procurement policy notes Read more

Teams who bid into the public sector in the UK will likely be aware of the Procurement Act 2023. The Act is an overhaul of existing procurement legislation governing public Read more

So, BPC (European edition) is over for another year! If you saw the article I posted on this blog a few weeks ago about my preparations for BPC Barcelona, you’ll Read more

Writing creatively can help you craft more compelling, compliant proposals and connect with your prospective customers in a deeper way. To be completely clear, though, writing creatively in proposals is Read more

Barcelona, Spain – March 7, 2024 – Today, the Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) launched its most innovative member benefit yet: APMP’s PIN.   Created and powered by Rohirrim, APMP’s Read more

In the dynamic realm of bid, proposal, and business development, professionals constantly seek insights and strategies to enhance their skills and stay ahead in their careers. This article aims to Read more

We all have war stories about captures that haven’t quite gone to plan. Regardless of whether the opportunity was won or lost, there’s often a moment where one says to Read more

Kathryn Potter is the UK Partner at CSK Management, an APMP Approved Training Organization – CSK Management handles APMP certification training and arranges for people to sit the exams. On Read more

With the 2023 calendar year behind us and federal agencies well underway with their plans for 2024, it’s a good time to take stock of the coming year and examine Read more

Introduction to visual strategy in RFPs In the intricate dance of proposal management, the persuasive power of a well-crafted RFP response often hinges on more than just the written word. Read more

The APMP community is a hugely diverse one – we have members and chapters the world over, and our membership is comprised of professionals of many different backgrounds, identities, and Read more

Shaping the Future of Tender Management with AI In the past year, the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have made countless headlines and had a profound Read more

In the dynamic world of government projects, responding to Request for Proposals (RFPs) demands a keen understanding of what it takes to stand out. Drawing upon more than seven years Read more

I’m Erin, APMP’s Writer and Editor. I’ll be going to BPC Barcelona for the first time in March and, as excited as I am, I’m also a little nervous. A Read more

Be under no illusions: you are in the business of making money. How many times have you heard some version of the old adage ‘revenue is vanity, profit is sanity, Read more

While we bid adieu to 2023, GenAI’s breakout year, welcome to the new year 2024, the year of progression with better GenAI practices! I would like to take this opportunity Read more

On Thursday 18 January, we held the first Consultants Showcase, a one-off member benefit where our members got the chance to explore the benefits and capabilities of various bid and Read more

As part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing an inclusive community of bid and proposal professionals, APMP has introduced a number of Affinity Groups, with the purpose of providing supportive Read more

Loopio’s RFP Response Trends and Benchmarks 2024 Report was published this week. The report was developed in partnership with APMP, and outlines some key data on the shape of the Read more

Happy New Year, APMP Members! At the end of last year, APMP announced changes to its HQ Board of Directors at its Annual Member Meeting. Now that 2024 has begun, Read more

The end of the year is always a busy time for our industry – from early January due dates to forward planning, our minds are often in the new year Read more

When Suzanne Shields got into the bid and proposal industry 20 years ago, she never expected that her daughter would follow in her footsteps years later. But now, mother and Read more

As we approach 2024, now – more than ever – strategic preparation is the key to unlocking a successful and fulfilling journey. Proposal Specialists can pave the way for a Read more

On Thursday December 14, the inaugural APMP Honors Gala burst onto our screens to celebrate the best of the bid and proposal industry in 2023! This ceremony was the latest Read more

You’ve definitely heard of AI. Chances are you’ve worried about what it means for your career and for the bid and proposal industry as a whole. But AI doesn’t have Read more

Ashburn, VA – December 8, 2023 – The Association of Proposal Management Professionals is proud to be hosting its first Honors Gala, an event celebrating the exceptional contributions and accomplishments Read more

In the bid and proposal management market, the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often misinterpreted. While it’s true that no AI tool can single-handedly craft a winning proposal, its Read more

Customer-centric communication uses strategic messaging to support compliant and responsive narratives. In the RFP process, customer-focused messaging takes many forms but should, at least, take account of a customer’s needs Read more

After much anticipation, Thursday November 16 saw CBDC 2023 hit our screens! The eighth annual iteration of our virtual conference took previous years’ success to new heights, as hundreds of Read more

How did you get involved in the bid and proposal management industry? Ask that question to most people (altered for their particular industry), and they’ll likely be able to tell Read more

Writing a good social value response is not an exact science, as each client and each opportunity is unique. Based on my experience of writing and improving social value bid Read more

The way we write and manage proposals in the legal and consulting industry is on the brink of a major transformation, thanks to the power of generative AI tools like Read more

Government Proposals Are Scored and Not Read Most business development professionals in the government contracting (GovCon) marketspace know that the heading to this paragraph is a true statement. For those Read more

Ashburn, VA – 1 November 2023 – Yesterday, the British Standards Institute (BSI) officially published PAS 360:2023, the first ever internationally-available code of practice for the bid and proposal management Read more

Marketing and proposal staff help to create bridges that connect many business divides. Some of these gaps are obvious, like the divide between what your company’s SMEs and a customer’s Read more

As the quantity and complexity of RFXs your team handles increases, you probably feel like you’re struggling to keep your head above water. Whether you’re searching through a disorganized SharePoint Read more

A teacher stands authoritatively at the front of a classroom, but only some students are paying attention.  A few are chatting, some are passing notes, and several students are gazing Read more

With tender deadlines looming, every hour counts! Valuable time can be easily lost with your team completing numerous manual, repetitive tasks. A time that could be better spent finessing your Read more

Before working on and submitting my first bid, I gained experience in various roles, sectors and countries. As a senior manager, I established and managed diverse teams, often leading them Read more

Artificial Intelligence (AI) was first discussed in 1950 by Alan Turing, who explored the mathematical possibility of AI. With the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, AI immediately became a hot Read more

Bidding for contracts is a complex and competitive process, requiring meticulous planning, strategy, and execution. However, the journey doesn’t end once the bid is submitted. In fact, it is crucial Read more

The situation You’re a female professional preparing a new proposal presentation with another female colleague. There is a meeting later, and you suggest inserting a timeline. She nods her head, Read more

Of course, there is! But we are not talking about the spelling, but the people involved in sourcing and submitting high-value government or commercial proposals or tenders. And that certainly Read more

It is a universal truth that if you give three experienced bid and proposal professionals a request for proposal (RFP) with instructions, evaluation criteria, and requirements that are not well Read more

More to the point, absolutely nobody reads proposals unless the words are properly punctuated by infographics, project shots, and cunningly structured white space. That’s a statistical fact, right? Well, let’s Read more

Winning competitive pursuits is a “thinking person’s business.” This business tenet is particularly true when trying to win solution-based, high-dollar value, prime contracts in the government contracting (GovCon) space. “What Read more

Before working on and submitting my first bid, I gained experience in various roles, sectors, and countries. As a senior manager, I established and managed diverse teams, often leading them Read more

Are you ready to incorporate Pink Team meetings into your proposal process? Do you already hold Pink Team meetings but feel they could be more productive? Is your team not Read more

We’ve got some top news to share! BidCraft, the small but pioneering firm in the world of bid consultancy, is crossing international waters for the first time, heading straight to Read more

Small businesses seeking growth and expansion often find themselves at a crossroads when deciding whether to target state and local markets first or venture directly into the federal arena. Each Read more

New York, 25 September 2015. The General Assembly of the United Nations stands and roars with applause as the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals are officially adopted, bold universal intentions that Read more

Receiving news from a prospective client that they have chosen a different direction is always disheartening. It prompts us to reflect on why our proposal or presentation fell short. While Read more

In today’s rapidly evolving world, it’s more crucial than ever to understand what people think and how they think. This understanding can be the key to unlocking successful business proposals, Read more

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are permeating the RFP knowledge base ethos. The warp-speed dissemination of generative AI is visible in all aspects of content management. From content creation to Read more

I’m here to explain why bid managers have never been more critical to an organisation’s ability to win new business! Bids are becoming more complex as procurement teams get smarter, Read more

The global pandemic in 2020 forced millions to work remotely, expediting the digital transformation in the workforce. Consequently, our economy’s current nature compels many companies to do more with less, Read more

I have been a proposal professional now for more than 10 years. Though I have stayed in the proposal field, I have changed industries multiple times, having worked in four Read more

The result of every proposal (whether proactive or reactive) is to turn the potential client’s decision in your favour. For any opportunity, every bidder knows the scope of work and Read more

Five years ago, I didn’t even know what “RFP” stood for or what a business proposal was. During the initial interview with my current company, the Chief Revenue Officer pulled Read more

At the 2023 Bid and Proposal Conference, 150 proposal professionals were polled on the question: “What percent of your Capture is usually complete by the time of an RFP?” Interestingly, Read more

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses across virtually every industry with promises of improved productivity, growth, and resilience. Just as the internet became integral to business, AI is quickly becoming Read more

The market growth of AI Technology is surging. In 2019, the market size was valued at $27.23 billion, and by 2027, the market size is expected to reach 266.92 billion, Read more

I met one of my close APMP friends at BPC 2015 in Seattle at lunch, and I noticed she was standing alone next to our table and looking over the Read more

Congratulations! You have won a prime contract! Before you know it, contract execution begins and suddenly you are in the unique position of incumbent on a recompete. As incumbent, your Read more

If you ask proposal management professionals how they landed their jobs, most will say it happened by chance. Proposal management isn’t taught in schools, after all. So, when offered an Read more

In some geographic markets, this may be a relatively easy task, but in Ottawa, Canada it’s a challenge. As Senior Proposal Writers and Senior Proposal Managers get more experience, they Read more

As Proposal Managers, we know all the intricacies of exercising total command and control of the proposal development process; but mention the words “Tech Challenge” and suddenly we are unfamiliar Read more

If you’ve browsed the internet or perused the news in the past year, chances are you’ve heard of ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model. And, if you’ve checked it Read more

We’ve all seen it. That proposal that goes into its sequential color team reviews, never really hitting the mark and never really picking up steam. This can happen for a Read more

Ivoire Lloyd is our featured APMP Member this month! Ivoire is APMP Certified at the Foundation Level and has been an APMP Member for the last two years. She is Read more

International Business Development teams have mastered collaborating virtually, long before the great work from home shift. When U.S.-based teams felt bumps as they adjusted to permanent work from home arrangements Read more

You only get one shot at a great proposal kickoff meeting, so make it count. Good kickoff meetings put the controls and processes in place to efficiently produce the proposal Read more

Even on the best proposal teams, conflicts occur. A proposal group is a tight-knit family of professionals working closely together under tight deadlines. In such a pressure cooker environment, tempers Read more

AI is on everybody’s lips these days and that was also the case at this year’s European Bid & Proposal Conference – BPC Europe 2023. My company was the main Read more

If you received a new RFP today that had 100 questions, how many of them would you assume that you’ve already answered? For most bid and proposal managers, the number Read more

Not only is your executive summary the first thing your customer reads about your proposal, it’s also the most closely scrutinized. As a result, the executive summary is the most Read more

BPC Europe 2023 gathered bid & proposal professionals from all over Europe to learn new strategies, make new connections, and chat with old friends. BPC Europe 2023 is presented by Read more

Lasting changes from the Covid pandemic and emerging economic pressures are changing the way proposal professionals work. But some things never change: Proper approaches to people, processes, and tools can Read more

Do bid professionals across all industries have similar personality traits that reflect resilience ensuring high-performing bid teams? Have you ever wondered if specific traits exist that are identifiable that engender Read more

From the news to LinkedIn, chances are you’ve been hearing weekly predictions of an upcoming recession. Indeed, it feels like there’s an abundance of speculation but no consensus on what Read more

When it comes to comparing proposals in the public sector and private sector, the differences appear to be obvious for many Professionals. However, if confronted with questions and requests to Read more

There are several words that are thrown around casually. It makes the speaker or writer look cool. Words like “collaboration”, “out-of-the-box”, “empower” convey everything and convey nothing. Another such word Read more

Ceri has worked in proposals for over 16 years. She’s one of only 22 people globally (as of October 2022) that holds all four main APMP certifications. Ceri is a Read more

 As a Bid professional, I interact quite often with fellow Bid professionals from many organizations, with their roles ranging from proposal writer, account executive, solution lead, proposal manager, sales lead, Read more

We are saddened to hear about the passing of APMP member, Christine Bodnar Diaz, on January 18th, 2023.  She was 51 years old. Christine is “survived by her daughters Katie Read more

There are few things worse than finding yourself working late or on the weekend trying to wrap up a proposal you know your company will not win.  Maybe the account Read more

How often have you faced the question ‘what do you do for work’, only to answer and have blank faces look back at you? The truth is we could talk Read more

For the last few years, your team likely hasn’t done a ton of RFP presentations. Between health precautions, supply chain disruptions and a desire to accelerate the purchasing process, the Read more

Your proposal is the first touch point for the customer to evaluate the quality of outputs you are capable of delivering. By submitting a sloppily written proposal, you are exposing Read more

As proposal industry professionals, we strive to make our proposal stand out and show it’s not a canned response. Often, this means we must rely on sales and account teams Read more

APMP is proud to announce that Patri and Hinz Consulting have chosen to support two important APMP Affinity Groups. Patri will be supporting the APMP Mental Health Affinity Group with Read more

I don’t know if this is the case anywhere else in the world with finding proposal writers, but in Ottawa, Canada, finding senior proposal resources is a challenge. This is Read more

ASHBURN, VA, January 4, 2023 — Rupesh Kumar, former Head Business Development for APMP’s India Region, has been promoted to APMP’s Director of Chapter and Membership Engagement effective January 3, Read more

As the largest bid & proposal association in the world, APMP is constantly growing as an organization and this year was no different. APMP’s goal is to create a sustainable, Read more

Have you ever wished you could switch up the traditional, rigid business development roles to provide a little magic to your next proposal pursuit?  Imagine if you could wave your Read more

Tis the season when many government consulting organisations go through some sort of ‘strategy review’ to explore the barriers to success in the years ahead and to decide which resources Read more

Technology is playing a larger role in business development teams across all sectors, and in professional services, tech that assists business development teams is on the rise. CRM, pitch automation Read more

Leading a team is tricky, especially at first. Some fall into the role and seem to navigate the waters with ease. Others have a rocky road until they find their Read more

Ashburn, VA – December 1, 2022 – APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals), the global association for bid and proposal professionals worldwide, announced today the promotion of Julia Duke to Read more

The capture methodology is widely considered to be a best practice that ensures a company is well positioned to win business. Too often, however, companies undervalue the prescribed, repeatable steps Read more

This is an invitation for current and past APMP HQ Board members to self-nominate for the 2023 Vice Chair position, which if elected, will automatically put you in line to Read more

As proposal professionals, we all seek to improve our skills and deliver more impact to our organizations. We belong to APMP to access a wealth of information on proposal management, Read more

APMP’s family of Affinity Groups expands further with the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group. APMP, the association of record for the bid and proposal community worldwide, offers members identifying as LGBTQIA+ Read more

The 2022-2023 APMP U.S. Compensation Report is here! This report provides a detailed analysis of compensation levels, benefits, and profile information of those in the proposal, bid, capture, business development, Read more

Are you interested in finding new dedicated proposal managers to add expertise to your team? Then follow our lead by establishing a trainee program for Proposal Managers. Due to the Read more

APMP’s DACH Chapter hosted the first day of the APMP DACH Conference with great success in early November 2022. At its peak, more than 100 professionals from German-speaking countries of Read more

APMP Japan’s Festa event brought together the Japanese bid & proposal community for a day of learning, networking, and celebrating one of APMP’s newest chapters in early November 2022. This Read more

The hardest part of winning new work is beginning to plan on how to keep it. All too often, companies do not give recompetes the attention, focus, or resources required. Read more

Many professionals involved in strategic pursuits and winning proposal strategies would counsel against pursuing a project or responding to an RFP without having an established relationship with a client. And, Read more

The 11th and 12th of October saw a return of the prestigious annual conference for the UK Chapter. Welcoming 316 people to Heathrow, for the first time since the pandemic, the UK was the Read more

Successful bid and proposal teams create a compliance matrix for every opportunity as soon as the RFP hits. An additional step that is just as important for complex proposals is Read more

When I was a novice proposal writer, I used to think that an executive summary should be an overview of the rest of the proposal. Having been an English Major Read more

Inclusion  inclusion (noun) · inclusions (plural noun)  the action or state of including or of being included within a group or structure:  “federal legislation now mandates the inclusion of students who are English Read more

Steve Jobs once said: ‘Great things in businesses are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.”   He could have been talking about a bid Read more

Day Two of BPC Asia 2022 started off with a keynote speech from Tony Birch that focused on the importance of certification. He provided five competitive reasons to be APMP Read more

APMP India Chair, Abhijit Majumdar, kicked off the inaugural BPC Asia by addressing the 196 attendees and sharing some APMP history. He gave a shout-out to the Great Charlie Divine Read more

We are excited to announce Red Team Consulting as our newest member of the APMP Approved Training Organization network. We can’t wait to see the contributions they make to promote Read more

Proposal Managers are excellent problem solvers and all-round magicians. We make the seemingly impossible a reality through careful consideration, attention to detail and an understanding of our customer’s needs. This Read more

The Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP®) have created the APMP Mental Health Affinity Group as part of the APMP Affinity Group program. This latest addition to the program creates Read more

A capture manager’s work is a lot like golf. Golfers must consider factors like wind, distance, club selection, and course obstacles as they make their way through a course hole. Read more

Being a marketing professional, having the skill set to multitask is a must, and not for the faint of heart. You must be diligent in communicating your proposal needs, but Read more

In August, APMP held it’s first-ever Women’s Virtual Summit – a worldwide, online event, spanning all time zones, and focused on how women can advance in the workplace. Their most Read more

It was 2am, the third late night in a row, but the RFP was packaged and ready to be delivered. I drove home for a two hour sleep before getting Read more

A client recently asked me to assist them with a win-loss analysis of a loss for which they were nearly 10 times (!) the winner’s price. While the source selection Read more

One of the defining moments in helping me select a career in proposal management was participating in the collegiate mentorship program sponsored by APMP. During my senior year at George Read more

The first-ever Women’s Virtual Summit was a huge success with 609 attendees, 40 amazing sessions, and 74 presenters from all over the world! As promised at the closing session, we Read more

APMP’s First-Ever Women’s Virtual Summit brought 609 bid & proposal professionals together to share professional obstacles, personal experiences, and expert advice. The candor and sincerity of this year’s speakers made Read more

In May, another incredible APMP BPC brought us together. I was lucky to attend and fortunate to present. The people I met and the sessions I attended spoke loud and Read more

There’s a tsunami coming. Can you hear it? Can you feel it? Be prepared for utter devastation. Unless you prepare yourself in other ways. In which case you will be Read more

Very often in the proposal industry, confusion is seen between the job titles ‘Proposal Manager’ and ‘Bid Manager’ which, as a result, fuel the already heated debate on the exact Read more

How valuable is your pitch or business development team? Show them.  A global pandemic. The Great Resignation. Return to office. Work life balance. Recent research estimates that 40% of new Read more

Like many companies, mine prioritizes its participation in its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) efforts. We place a high value on ensuring every person feels like they have a voice Read more

 Is your burnt-out team submitting low quality bids? New research from Loopio’s 2022 RFP Trends and Benchmarks Report, which surveyed 800+ teams across North America, reveals that stressed teams participate Read more