If you work in bids, proposals or marketing, you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say: why are they always issued at the same time?
As a relatively small marketing and bid team, we often manage a high volume of concurrent submissions. There seems to be a predictable rhythm to it. Opportunities tend to land either just before Spring budget deadlines, when organisations need to commit remaining funds, or just after funding has been confirmed and projects need to move quickly.
In theory, structured processes, strong planning and clear ownership should make this manageable. In reality, juggling multiple bids simultaneously can create confusion for even the most organised teams. Each submission comes with different requirements, formats, evaluation criteria and fee structures. Switching between them at pace requires intense focus and carries a real risk of error.
And then come the clarifications…
Late bid clarifications are often issued close to submission deadlines and can require significant rework, not just minor tweaks, but sometimes fundamental changes to narrative responses, programme assumptions or fee submissions. When these land within a few days of the deadline, it can undo weeks of careful preparation.
For teams who pride themselves on being organised and getting ahead of the game, this is particularly frustrating. No matter how early you start or how robust your internal processes are, late clarifications can make it virtually impossible to reach a fully finalised position ahead of submission.
For SMEs without the luxury of large, dedicated bid teams, this becomes more than an inconvenience; it’s a genuine operational headache. It stretches capacity, increases pressure on individuals and can ultimately affect bid quality.
Of course, clarifications serve an important purpose. They help avoid misunderstandings, address gaps or inconsistencies in original tender documentation and ensure a fairer, more transparent procurement process. In highly competitive tenders, where many bidders are asking questions, the volume of clarifications can grow significantly, adding further complexity for everyone involved.
So what’s the answer?
Greater recognition of the cumulative impact on bidders would help, as would clearer initial documentation, earlier clarification windows, or more realistic timelines between final clarification responses and submission deadlines. Small changes can make a big difference to the quality of responses clients receive.
Because at the end of the day, bid teams don’t want shortcuts – we want the time and clarity to submit our very best work.