My Journey as a Bid Writer  

In this article, bid professional Leonie Thomas reflects on her journey as a bid writer – her own personal experience, journey, and how AI is impacting her everyday life.  

2025 marks my 21st year of being in work-winning roles, and my 11th year of working as a consultant specialising in construction and infrastructure bids. What has my journey been like, what have I learnt, what would I do differently and what does the future hold?  

How It Started  

My journey into bid writing really started at school, in fact I learnt all the skills that I need from my history teachers, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Kemp. They both taught me how to structure a cogent argument, and the subsequent exams taught me how to formulate this and get it written down quickly. I found writing essays very easy, I tended to study humanities subjects that required long, essay-based responses. I thought that I’d be a journalist when I was growing up. In fact, I don’t think that I have fallen too far away from that particular tree. 

I found doing A Levels a real trial and I dropped out of university – I needed the structure and discipline of work when I was a young adult, and I would have benefitted from doing an apprenticeship, but the range of opportunities like that was more limited in the 90s.  

Instead, I took an administration job at a house builder. I still remember the first time I visited a site and saw a completed scheme that I had first seen on the architect’s drawing board in the office. I was truly blown away by that. That sense of wonder has never left me, and it’s why I find construction so fascinating. I love the journey from concept and 2D drawings to fully completed 3D projects that people can use for their benefit. 

What Has My Journey Been Like?  

My journey has been tough, and it amazes me that I’m still here. There have been some key points where I could have easily done something else. The combination of poor line management, lack of support, guidance and development, aligned with the sheer stress and pressure of the work have added up to a toxic experience on more than one occasion. I am open about some of the mental health and wellbeing challenges I’ve experienced during my career.  

The big change for me was becoming freelance 11 years ago – this has opened many opportunities for me, and put me in complete control of my work and how I do it. Being freelance requires a mindset that wouldn’t work for everyone, but if you can handle the concept of taking risk and managing instability, the opportunities for growth and development are limitless.   

When I went freelance, I made the intentional decision to niche into bid writing and focus on construction as a sector. I already had many contacts in the industry, so it made more sense to lean into what I knew rather than explore other sectors. I know many bid writers—some stick to one sector, while others are more adaptable and move between them. I really admire those writers who can learn something new with each bid. It’s an incredible skill. 

What Have I Learnt Throughout My Career?  

My career has given me many gifts throughout, with some of the most important being:  

• Being able to write well quickly: I can get a first draft on the page speedily, focusing on the editing later. For developing writers, this is the skill you need to practise.  

• Soft skills are as important as hard skills: Great writing is non-negotiable, but this needs to be combined with soft skills, such as working collaboratively, leading people through a process they don’t necessarily enjoy and drawing information from technical colleagues.  

• Commit to learning: Commit to constant learning, whether it’s tech, soft skills or the industry you are working in, learn all you can. Even if you aren’t applying the knowledge daily, background information is critical to being able to interview subject matter experts well.  

• Resilience: The most important thing I’ve learnt so far in my career, however, is resilience. I’ve developed the ability to thrive in tough environments. I’d recommend that anyone who works in bid develops this skill as early in their career as possible.  

What Would I Do Differently?  

There are number of things I’d do differently, and it were to offer advice to people developing on their own journey, this is what I’d suggest:  

• Lean into it: Working in bid environments can be demanding, challenging and tough. Lean into it and be committed to delivering amazing work. The more you push back, the harder it will be, and your physical and mental wellbeing will suffer. Learn about the power of mindset and the strength of governing your own thoughts and responses to what’s going on.  

• Own your own growth and development: Work with a mentor or a supportive line manager to plot your growth and development and own the actions that are needed. While I experienced poor line management and career development in my earlier career, there would have been nothing stopping me from identifying the skills I needed.  

• Prioritise building great relationships with your colleagues and contacts: Nothing will help you develop as much as getting along with people. It’s a skill that’s particularly important when the bid is challenging. Focus on collaboration and working well with people. As a freelancer, my best referrals and recommendations come from people I’ve worked with previously, and in a market where it’s hard to test writers before they work for you, these recommendations are priceless.  

What Does the Future Hold?  

I think the role of bid writing will change a lot over the next five years, driven partly by the role developing and partly by the growth of AI and other tech in the sector. I think there is real opportunity for great writers to play key strategic parts on bids, particularly on the larger deals, where the focus on the role will be more preparation and messaging development before bids come to market.  

AI will significantly improve access to information within businesses, helping to reduce some of the pressures of sourcing information when writing under tight deadlines. I also think that AI will free up time, and the onus is on us as bid writers to use this time wisely. I would recommend focusing on really getting to know the businesses you work for and with and curating this information in the form of world-class case studies, CVs and other forms of evidence. Understanding how and why businesses are the best at what they do will help you to articulate this when you are developing responses.  

The future is exciting, and I can’t wait for it to get here personally.  

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