Onboarding SMEs into Creative Bid Writing: A Workshop Guide for Bid Teams

In competitive tendering environments, the ability to articulate technical solutions in a clear, compelling, and client-focused manner is critical. While bid writers excel at crafting persuasive narratives, they often rely on Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the technical detail that underpins credibility. However, SMEs are rarely trained communicators—and their contributions can sometimes be verbose, overly complex, or misaligned with the evaluator’s perspective.

To address this, progressive bid teams are adopting structured onboarding workshops to integrate SMEs into the creative bid writing process. These workshops don’t just improve content quality—they foster a shared understanding of the bid strategy, improve collaboration, and ultimately increase win rates. This guide outlines a comprehensive, professional approach to onboarding SMEs using practical tools such as pre-session templates, collaborative exercises, and post-workshop content curation.

1. Strategic Foundations: Why Onboard SMEs Through Workshops?

SMEs possess deep knowledge but often operate from a delivery mindset rather than a sales mindset. Evaluators, however, want to see how your organisation solves their problems—not just a list of technical specifications. Bid workshops bridge this divide by:

• Aligning SMEs with the overarching bid strategy and tone.
• Training them to translate technical language into benefit-led narratives.
• Creating reusable content for future bids and capability statements.

Workshops enable bid teams to capture high-quality, scalable content while empowering SMEs to become more confident contributors.

2. Pre-Workshop Planning and Stakeholder Engagement

Before conducting any workshop, careful preparation is key:

a) Identify the Right Participants
Select SMEs who:

• Represent different service or product areas.
• Have client-facing experience or project delivery insight.
• Are likely to be called upon repeatedly in future bids.

b) Communicate Objectives Early
Set expectations in advance:

• Workshop outcomes (e.g. content generation, tone alignment, clarity training).
• Time commitment.
• Post-workshop follow-up (e.g. reviewing drafts, feedback sessions).

c) Develop a Pre-Workshop Pack
Send participants a preparation pack including:

• Bid writing style guide.
• Sample winning responses.
• Key evaluation criteria and scoring methodologies.
• Questionnaire to reflect on common challenges, innovations, and success stories.

This reduces cognitive load during the session and allows SMEs to arrive informed.

3. Workshop Structure: Turning Insight into Impact

Session Duration: 2.5 to 3 hours (in-person or virtual)

Part 1: Warm-Up and Ice-Breakers (20–30 minutes)
The aim is to break down barriers, encourage interaction, and highlight the challenge of translating complexity into clarity:

• Clarity Challenge: One SME explains a complex process in technical terms. Another rephrases it in plain language. Peers vote on clarity and effectiveness.
• Jargon Bingo: SMEs identify commonly used acronyms or internal terms and discuss how they may confuse external evaluators.

Part 2: Introduce the Writing Frameworks (30 minutes)
Present two to three simple bid writing templates to structure responses:

• Problem – Solution – Outcome: Focuses the response around client pain points, technical solutions, and measurable results.
• STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result): Ideal for case studies and project-based examples.
• PQRS (Point, Qualify, Reference, Summarise): Keeps answers concise and benefit-driven.

Demonstrate each framework using real examples from past bids.

Part 3: Interactive Group Exercises (60 minutes)
Break participants into smaller teams and:

• Assign each group a question from a real or mock bid.
• Encourage them to co-develop responses using the frameworks.
• Nominate a spokesperson to present their draft for group critique.
• Provide live editing feedback to improve tone, clarity, and focus.

Part 4: Role-Plays and Scenario Simulation (30 minutes)
Conduct short role-plays:

• SME plays the expert pitching to a potential client.
• Bid writer reframes their answers into a compelling written draft.
• Peers assess the response from an evaluator’s perspective.

Part 5: Review and Capture (30 minutes)
Close the session with:

• Group review of key learnings.
• Identification of high-potential content for inclusion in the bid library.
• Agreement on next steps: editing, validation, approvals.

4. Post-Workshop Follow-Up and Content Curation

A well-run workshop produces a wealth of raw content. But without proper follow-up, its value can quickly dissipate. Recommended actions:

• Consolidate and Edit: Bid writers clean and polish the best responses, aligning them with organisational tone and evaluator needs.
• Content Validation: SMEs review final content to ensure accuracy without reverting to jargon.
• Library Integration: Approved content is tagged, indexed, and uploaded to the central bid library for future reuse.
• SME Feedback Survey: Collect insights on workshop effectiveness and areas for improvement.

Also consider nominating a “Bid Content Champion” from each department to assist with future SME engagement and content curation.

5. Measurable Benefits of SME Onboarding Workshops

Bid teams that consistently run SME onboarding workshops report:

• Increased Win Rates: Responses are clearer, more tailored, and aligned with scoring frameworks.
• Faster Bid Turnaround: With reusable content and trained SMEs, teams can meet tighter deadlines.
• Improved Team Morale: SMEs feel their contributions are valued and respected.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Writers, delivery teams, and management gain shared ownership of bid quality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why involve SMEs in the bid writing process at all?
   SMEs provide the technical accuracy and solution insight that evaluators demand. Bid writers can shape the narrative—but only if they’re given the right input.
2. How often should these workshops be run?
   Ideally every six months, or aligned with major framework bid timelines. Quarterly refresher sessions are useful for high-volume bidding environments.
3. What’s the ideal number of participants per session?
   6–10 SMEs allow for meaningful discussion, group interaction, and personalised feedback.
4. Can this format work for remote teams?
   Yes. Use breakout rooms, collaborative whiteboards (e.g. Miro or MURAL), and screen-sharing to replicate interactivity virtually.
5. How do we keep content from becoming stale?
   Establish a process to review and refresh bid library content annually or after every major submission cycle.

Related Blogs from AskABidWriter.com

1. Leveraging Storytelling Techniques for Winning Bid Proposals
2. Tender Compliance Requirements for Successful Bids
3. Bid Writing Mistakes: Avoid Common Pitfalls to Win More Work
4. Effective Proposal Writing Techniques for Winning Bids
5. 10 Proven Strategies to Optimise Your Tender Submission Process

Conclusion

Incorporating SMEs into the creative bid writing process through structured workshops is no longer a luxury—it’s a competitive necessity. By blending practical writing tools with collaborative, evaluator-focused activities, bid teams can harness the full potential of their technical experts. The result? More compelling responses, stronger win themes, and a cohesive team that speaks the same language—one that evaluators understand and reward.