About our bid writing consultancy
Kittle Group’s bid writing consultancy has been designed to raise standards, and to help clients win
“I started to build a bidding company that put quality and client satisfaction at the heart of our assignments”
Alan Kittle
How Kittle Group became Kittle Group
‘I founded Kittle Group because I could see there was a better way to support suppliers to bid for contracts. I started by freelancing as a bid writer through agencies and I could see the management issues, short-term thinking, and lack of care these agencies had for their clients.
I wanted to do things differently.
“My aim was to build a bid writing consultancy that put quality and client satisfaction at the heart of our assignments. We focus on developing partnerships, investing in our clients’ growth, and making their interests our interests.” – Alan Kittle
How did we get here?
Let’s go back to 2015
After 17 years in the civil service, the last 6 of them as a director of a major government department, Alan starts to freelance as a bid writer.
At this time, all of his work is booked through agencies.
A combination of overwhelming demand and an ‘aha’ moment while working through an agency inspires Alan to develop his own bid writing consultancy. He’s never done this before, but is driven by his belief that clients deserve better.
In order to help deal with the ever increasing demand, Kittle hires its first graduate, Chris. He joins on a part time basis to shadow Alan and learn the job. Chris would go on to become a Senior Writer, and now leads our Quality Assurance.
The next employee, Sam, joins and starts working on business development: sales, marketing, account management, hiring and strategy. It’s busy days around the kitchen table in our pyjamas.
As we continue to attract more direct clients, Calum and Joel join the team. The bid writing resource is growing. We also move into a tiny 600sqft attic office in Henley-on-Thames. We were so proud of our little space.
We get a chance to impress a FTSE250 company. It was a major bid with a tight turnaround. We put everything into this project, and it pays off, it’s a win – £1.8billion! The client decides to step up our bid writing consultancy support.
We sign our first long-term partnership agreement. As part of mobilising, we hire and train seven more bid and tender writers. The contract would go on to teach us so much, and lay the foundation for how we approach our long term support.
Public sector procurement took a big pause with COVID-19 uncertainty. We stuck together, believed in ourselves, and came out of 2020 stronger. Our client base diversifies, and we’re taught lessons about leadership, and positivity.
Out of the 600sqft attic office and into a 2800sqft space right by Reading station. We invest in a fit out and make the space our own. Staff are welcomed back to office work (which we love!) We continue hiring, and end the year at 19 staff.
In 2022 we really picked up pace, but everything is still imbued with the same attitude as we had around the kitchen table: long-term partnerships, dedication to clients, and treating staff as the asset that they are. We grew 40% year-on-year, and welcomed six new writers (Laura, Seth, James, Nicola, Ben, Tom and Faye). We even worked on a bid that led to a £1bn win for a major client.
We continue to grow, hiring another six writers and one new business developer. Interest in our service from International clients really took off – we supported clients from Germany, Spain, Australia, Singapore, USA, and the Middle East. We expect our international work to continue… watch this space!