Bid kickoff meetings - necessary evil or valuable tool?

A bid kickoff meeting provides a platform for your team to come together to discuss the invitation to tender (ITT) and the opportunity it presents to the organisation. It's also where roles are assigned to create a skilled bid team who will build an outstanding bid submission. 

It is an essential step in any proposal process as it allows everyone to ask questions and understand their responsibilities and the bid plan.

During this meeting, essential information about the proposal, such as requirements for writing, deadlines and stakeholders, are shared so that everyone can be better informed about what needs to be done. By having the kickoff meeting in place, teams can ensure that they have all the necessary resources to produce an effective proposal with high-quality content.

Get motivated!

It is important to remember that the bid kickoff meeting isn't only about assigning tasks and going over deadlines; it is also a chance to build relationships and motivate everyone involved in the project. By openly discussing successes and challenges, team members can better understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. This leads to better collaboration and helps create a sense of unity and purpose. 

By planning and preparing for bid kickoff meetings, teams can have a better chance of success when it comes to submitting a tender. The bid kickoff meeting is an essential step in the process and shouldn't be overlooked. 

Who's responsible for organising the bid kickoff?

That depends on how big your bid is and how your organisation is set up. 

Bid roles and responsibilities and how to assign them is the topic of another blog post coming soon, but generally, a bid manager or bid lead will be assigned to the bid as soon as it's been approved as part of your bid/no-bid decision process (also the topic of another blog post). 

If you have a bid management team in your organisation, a professional bid manager may be allocated, or if another part of your organisation runs bids, someone else will assume the role of bid lead.

Anyway, the bid manager or lead will be responsible for leading the bid kickoff meeting and keeping everyone up to date on deadlines, changes to the bid, and overall progress. 

Agenda

The bid kickoff meeting agenda is critical to the success of the bid process. It sets the tone for the entire bid process and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page when it comes to expectations, timelines, and producing the proposal. During the kickoff meeting, the bid manager will outline the overall strategy and timeline for the completion of the bid. 

The bid manager should also assign writing tasks to team members and answer any questions about the tender. Finally, the bid manager should discuss plans for future activities and ensure that the team works together to achieve success. 

Example agenda

We've provided a list of agenda items you may want to cover during your kickoff meeting. These can, of course, be tailored to suit the bid's requirements.

• Introduction and welcome

   - explain why people have been invited, and introduce the stakeholders, including the bid sponsor, bid manager and tender team. Run through the agenda and expectations of the bid kickoff meeting. Outline the project timeline and explain the tender's preparation process.

• Bid overview

   - give a more detailed outline of the bid requirements and help everyone understand the proposal scope and how it ties into the overall strategy.

• Bid strategy

   - explain how the team should approach the bid, talk through any opportunities or risks and what steps will be taken to address these.

• Assigned roles and responsibilities

   - clarify who is responsible for each step in the process and instil the importance of accountability in the team. Assign writing tasks to subject matter experts.

• Bid plan and deadline review

   - review the bid production timeline, ensuring that deadlines are achievable and meet the tender requirements.

• Bid team availability - holidays, other bids, study leave etc. 

• Next steps

   - recap the main points discussed and ensure everyone is clear on the next steps and how to navigate the bid plan. The next steps may include arranging content planning sessions, solution workshops, and pricing and commercial discussions. You should also outline the plan for regular progress meetings and set dates, e.g. every Tuesday at 10am until submission.

• Any other business

  - open up the floor for questions and discuss any other issues that arise

• Thank you

   - thank everyone for their time and contribution to the bid kickoff

How much time to allocate to the bid kickoff?

The length of your bid kickoff meeting will depend on the bid size and the number of stakeholders involved. As a minimum, 60 minutes should be assigned. Keeping the first meeting relatively short will keep attendees' attention and focus on the bid's importance. If you are working on a particularly large or complex bid, you can use this time to explain the ITT requirements and the bid plan at a high level, dividing it into a series of workstreams with leads who will then have workstream-specific kickoff meetings.

Definitely a valuable tool

A Bid Kickoff Meeting is a critical part of the tender process, no matter how large or small the project may be and should be given the necessary time and attention to ensure a successful bid. An effective bid kickoff meeting will set your team up for success by ensuring everyone knows their role in producing a complete, compliant, and ultimately winning bid. 

Get in touch if you'd like help organising your bid kickoff meeting or your approach to an ITT from start to finish.