Why it helps
In a small firm, the scarcest thing in any bid is the founder's time. Every proposal written for work you were never going to win is time taken from one you could have won. The checklist makes the choice clear, scored and written down. The founder decides; the checklist only recommends.
How it works
1. Red flags. Answer Yes or No to seven red flags. One example: nobody at your firm has spoken to anyone who will make the decision. Any Yes means no bid, whatever the score.
2. Score five factors from 1 to 5. The file explains what a 1, a 3 and a 5 look like for each one.
| Factor | The question | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Win probability | Do we have a real chance? | 30% |
| Capacity | Can we write it and do it without hurting current clients? | 25% |
| Fit | Is this the work we are best at, for the client we want? | 20% |
| Value | Is it worth having? | 15% |
| Risk | What could go wrong? | 10% |
3. Decide. The sheet works out the weighted score.
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 4.00 to 5.00 | Bid. Book the review date now |
| 3.50 to 3.99 | Bid only if a set condition is met by a set date. If not, don't bid |
| Below 3.50 | Don't bid. Say no politely, and say what work you would like to be asked for |
For an ordinary proposal, not a tender, use the five-question gate on its own sheet. Four or five Yes answers: agree a send date.
How to use it
- Open the file and start on the Red flags sheet.
- Score each factor on the Score sheet. Use the Anchors sheet to stay consistent. Two people scoring the same tender should be within one point.
- Write down the decision, the score and a one-line reason.
- Once a quarter, compare the scores of tenders you won and lost. If the weights don't fit your firm, change them. They must add up to 100%.
Worked example
This firm and tender are made up. A 14-person firm finds a tender for a twelve-week review, due in nine working days. It scores win probability 2, capacity 3, fit 5, value 3 and risk 3. The weighted score is 3.10, which is no bid. Nobody at the firm can speak to the people who decide before the deadline, so a red flag also says no bid.
Where it comes from
The weights are adapted from one vendor's model. SiftHub, which sells proposal software, publishes it. Here capacity gets more weight and fit less, because in a small firm one bid can take the founder out of client work for a week. No study shows that these weights predict wins.
Using it
You may use, change and share it inside your own firm. Please don't sell it or publish it as your own.
