Paul White
I got into bidding to marry what I liked most about my previous sales career (the thrill of winning deals) with what I was best at (writing persuasive proposals).
In 2015 I left my sales role in Sydney and joined a UK bid consulting firm, where I got to work with some of the world’s leading businesses on their most complex opportunities. I quickly realised how much more there is to bidding than writing proposals, and fell in love with the whole craft – the strategising, the teamwork, the competition, the complexity, the creativity. And the cleverness of my colleagues and the client teams we partnered with.
In 2019 I came back to Australia and was happy to find that the fundamentals of bidding here are largely the same as in the UK. Australia is among the world’s best in terms of procurement practices for both the public and private sectors; and on the bidding side, the competition for the biggest opportunities is just as fierce.
Launching BidCraft Australia is about bringing something different to give Australian businesses an edge over their competitors. I love the dedication to the bidding community that BidCraft has shown through initiatives like PAS 360 (the international standard for bid and proposal management), but the real magic is when you see the team in action. I’ve been lucky enough to be part of incredible bid teams in the UK and across Australia. But the BidCraft crew just do things a little differently and find ways to make things better.
Working on interesting things with smart people.
The opportunities I helped win and the lessons I learned in my first couple of years back in Australia. Earlier in my career, I would have been nervous to admit that I didn’t have a full understanding of bidding and procurement here. But being transparent about this helped me learn faster and to recognise that being more open is actually good for performance and results. Who knew?
A good dose of red but predominantly blue. Meaning my drive to get stuff done can be held back by a touch of overthinking. Thankfully almost no yellow though, so zero time wasted on feelings or human connection. (See why I had to leave my career in sales?)
To help clients win more easily while looking after their people. Bidding is a tough game. The contracts we pursue are vital for people’s jobs and business growth targets. Pressure is high and, at times, relentless. And the nature of bidding will always be competitive and time pressured. My aim is to help client teams go all-in on the right opportunities, bid better and avoid burnout.